Girls who learn at Junju Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Rumphi District have expressed hope of improved performance once a hostel being constructed is completed.
The 80-bed hostel is being constructed by Rumphi District Council with funding from the World Bank through performance-based Governance to Enable Service Delivery (Gesd) project.
A student Mary Nyirenda said the long distance she covers to school makes her tired such that she fails to study.
“I travel a long distance to school and by the time I get back home, I am usually too tired to do any school work. However, when the hostel is ready, we will focus on our studies as we will be boarders,” she said.
Records show that the school has of late been performing poorly in the past four years in national examinations.
The school’s head teacher Jimmy Msiska said only three students have passed Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
“From 2019 to 2021, we had zero MSCE pass rate. The situation improved slightly in 2022 when three students passed. In 2022 all 10 girls who sat for Junior Certificate of Education examinations failed,” he said.
Rumphi District Council director of planning and development Frank Mfune said the Gesdfunds have empowered them to deliver various services to people in the district.
In the last cycle, the council built two market sheds, a pharmacy at the district hospital, a teacher development centre and a police unit.
