Students at Tengani Community Technical College in Nsanje District have asked duty-bearers to construct hostels at the institution to address accommodation challenges.
The facility, meant to enrol students from surrounding communities to pursue technical and vocational courses, is now taking students from across the country.
Gift Mikeyasi, a bricklaying student, said he walks from Traditional Authority Chapananga in Chikwawa.
He said: “Lack of boarding facilities is affecting our studies. Some of us are forced to live away from the campus.
“At the start of the academic year, there were 180 students but only 68 remain due to lack of boarding facilities.”
Besides lack of hostels, Mikeyasi said the institution has shortage of instructors.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) student Ellen Kapalamula said the hostels will offer girls security and convenience.
“I, therefore, ask authorities to construct the facilities,” she said.
The college’s acting principal Louis Malunga confirmed the challenges.
He said: “The college was designed to take local students but Ministry of Labour, Skills Development and Innovation and Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority are sending qualified students to the school.
“However, these students are withdrawing due to lack of hostels.”
Malunga also said the school has only six instructors instead of 12.
In a separate interview, Nsanje district commissioner Sandram Naluso said technical colleges were initially under central government but they have been handed over to local councils.
“Therefore, we will discuss with Tengani Area Development Committee to see if we can tap resources from the K5 billion Constituency Development Fund to build the hostels to create accommodation,” he said.
The college offers bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, welding and fabrication, ICT, plumbing and sanitation and textile and fashion design
