Over 1,500 Pupils Without Form One Places in Itezhi-Tezhi
More than 1,533 pupils who qualified to progress to Grade 8 (Form One) in Itezhi-Tezhi District have failed to secure secondary school places due to a shortage of learning facilities, the area’s Member of Parliament, Twaambo Mutinta, has revealed.
Mr Mutinta said that despite significant investment in classroom infrastructure over the past two years, including the construction of more than 40 classroom blocks, the district continues to experience an acute shortage of space at secondary school level.
He explained that Itezhi-Tezhi currently has only one functional boarding secondary school and three weekly day secondary schools, a situation he described as unsustainable in light of the district’s rapid population growth.
“Itezhi-Tezhi has the highest annual population growth rate in Southern Province at 4.8 per cent,” Mr Mutinta said. “When this is combined with the implementation of free education, demand for secondary school places has increased sharply, resulting in a critical shortage of school spaces.”
The lawmaker has since called on the Ministry of Education to urgently construct at least two new secondary schools in the district. He disclosed that land has already been secured in Masasabi, Nanzhila, Muunga and Nakabangwe to support the proposed expansion.
While acknowledging ongoing efforts to address the challenge through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), Mr Mutinta stressed that additional government intervention is required to ensure that all eligible learners have access to secondary education.
He warned that failure to expand secondary school infrastructure could undermine gains made in improving access to education, particularly for children from rural and disadvantaged communities.
