K598 million upstairs Thyolo Primary School construction launched

In a bid to alleviate the longstanding issue of inadequate primary school facilities, Thyolo District Council has launched the construction of a new school known as Thyolo Boma Primary School.

Speaking during the launch, Thyolo District Commissioner, Hudson Kuphanga said the one storey infrastructure with a capacity of 240 pupils will expand access to quality education.

Kuphanga called for collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation of the project.

Member of Parliament for Thyolo Central, Ben Phiri said was pleased with the development, calling it ‘a dream come true’ for the community.

Director of Education, Youth and Sports for Thyolo, Rabbie Kawalala noted that the project marks a positive step towards addressing the district’s critical shortage of classroom space.

Kawalala disclosed that the district currently serves 211 331 primary school learners with just 1 813 classrooms, leading to a pupil-classroom ratio of 117:1.

Kawalala said this means that 51% of the pupils are forced to learn in open spaces but with the current enrolment, the district needs 3 522 classrooms to meet the recommended ratio of 60 pupils per classroom, highlighting a shortfall of 1 709 classrooms.

The K598 million project which is part of World Bank’s GESD project comprises four classrooms and is expected to be completed within 150 days.