By Isaac Zulu
Educationist Faustina Sinyangwe says President Hakainde Hichilema is lying and being unrealistic for saying that no pupil will sit on the floor in a classroom by December next year.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Sinyangwe said that President Hichilema is being over ambitious by saying that the UPND administration can achieve such an objective within a year.
“To start with I don’t know if he even knows the number of schools that are in the country. And he should also be reminded that there schools even in urban areas where pupils are sitting on the floor. I would appreciate if the President said that they are working towards ensuring that no child sits on the floor in a classroom in the coming years,” Sinyangwe said. “And I am speaking from experience as an educationist who traversed this country during the introduction of education boards.They cannot achieve such an objective today, this year or next year. It is a lie and he is being unrealistic and over ambitious.”
She said that even in fulfilling the objective of delivering desks in all schools across the country, the UPND government should take into account the “quality and durability of the desks that will be made in a rushed manner.”
“I don’t even think that they are putting in place quality controls in making those desks. They might just end up making desks that are of low quality and cannot last. Remember that you are dealing with children who even jump on top of desks. So in the fulfilling the delivery of desks in all schools in the country, they should also consider the quality and durability of those desks.”
Sinyangwe, who is also former Matero member of parliament, further advised the UPND administration to promise the people what is attainable, saying “the Zambian people have always demonstrated that they get fed up and eventually reject a government that fails to honour its campaign promises.”
“They should not appease people, they should not be ambitious, but be truthful. The promises that they are making will backfire if they fail to honour them,” said Sinyangwe.
