Parents of Chemusar primary school students have appealed to well wishers and the government to help them set up permanent structures in their school given that they are learning in a grass thatched classroom.
The school situated in the remote area of Sekerr ward, Sigor constituency has over 100 pupils and they only study for two hours on shifts due to lack of classrooms and teachers.
The institution was established in 2006 by parents since the village had no school and education wasn’t available for many kids.
Speaking to press at the school, chairman Joseph Kapel said that village had over 350 children who were yearning for education.
“We decided to set up this grass thatched classroom in the year 2006 since children below ten years were not attending school. The nearest school is over 15 kilometers,” he said.
Kapel said they decided to employ class eight drop-outs from the neighboring village to help teach the pupils.
He said the residents felt neglected by the government since they have not benefited from previous regimes.
“We felt neglected. 53 years after independence and we don’t have any school or a road linking us to this place,” he said.
Daniel Katanga, a parent, asked well-wishers to help them in setting structures in the school to enable their children further their education.
The village which has a population of over 168 households, has no pupil who has sat for any national examination.
Fridah Lokapel, a volunteer teacher at the school, said that the school has no learning facilities and they are forced to borrow from neighboring schools 15 kilometers away.
Lokapel said she combines nursery and class one pupils and teaches them for two hours, before releasing them for their play break and she turns her attention to class two and three pupils for two hours.
Residents of the area have now asked the national government to make sure that pupils from the region are not denied free primary education.
“It’s a pity that these children are not benefiting from government services and yet their parents voted for the jubilee administration,” she said.
County Executive member for Education Gladys Kiyapyap, however, said the County government has tried on its part to improve learning institutions in the region.
She said despite meager funds from the national government, the County government has spent a chunk of its budget to improve education in the last three years.
She said the community had abandoned vices like cattle rustling and female genital mutilation and asked the government to ensure it delivers equal services to its citizens.
She asked all leaders from the county to unite and see that the institution has the required facilities to help reduce illiteracy levels in the County.