Teachers, learners hail desks

Teachers and learners at Kamilamphanthe Primary School in Traditional Authority Wenya in Chitipa District have expressed excitement with 146 desks that World Vision Malawi has donated.

The school, located about five kilometres from Zambian border, has 504 learners, 293 of them boys, who were sitting on the floor since it opened in the late 1990s.

The school’s deputy head teacher Francis Wanjako in an interview on Saturday said the desks have motivated children.

He said: “Some children dropped out of school because they were not feeling comfortable sitting on the floor. But now the situation has improved as absenteeism and dropout rate have declined.

“The desks have also helped children to concentrate in class because they feel comfortable.”

Wanjako believes that the school’s performance in the 2025 Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations will improve.

“I think we will see learners getting selected to secondary school for the first time since the school opened,” he said.

The school’s head girl Dyna Munthali echoed her teacher’s sentiments that the desks have boosted learners’ morale.

“We now work hard in class because of the desks. Even those who dropped out of school are returning because they want to sit at desks,” she said.

Munthali said previously, it was difficult for girls to participate in class because they were sitting on the floor.

“As girls, we could not stand to answer questions even though we knew the answers. We are now able to stand anytime we want to contribute during lessons because we are sitting at desks,” he said.

Tryson Mwandira, one of the teachers, said they will take care of the desks.