The schools in Kalwala do not only get pupils and students from the nearby villages but also from places further away. This is because the possibilities to get education in the region are limited. But also the good reputation of the schools in Kalwala plays a part. Attracting students from far away is nice but has a drawback. Walking all the way from home, spending the day at school and then walking back home without any food is tough, especially for teenagers. And not only that, insufficient nutrition also slows down the intellectual development and limits the ability to concentrate. Therefor there was already for some time the wish to supply all students – about 400 in total – daily with a healthy meal at lunchtime. Hence we were all very happy when the foundation School Support and Beyond offered to adopt the realization of the necessary facilities as a project (the Schoollunch project). They will (financially) take care of the construction and furnishing of a dining hall and kitchen and the realization of a school garden for growing maize and vegetables. Last November the project had its kick-off and the maize has been planted – just in time to make full use of the rainy season. Soon the construction of the dining hall will start.
The administration block that has been worked on all 2013 reaches its completion. The building also has a staff room for teachers of as well the secondary school as the vocational school. In this staff room a computer and Internet facility is going to be realized. In that way lecturers have the opportunity to keep track of the latest developments in their fields and to enrich their lessons with realistic and up to date examples.
A delegation of the foundation mentioned before as well as a representative of SOZ will visit the schools in Kalwala by the end of next March. During that trip they hope to realize the computer facilities and to discuss the Schoollunch project with stakeholders in the schools and with representatives of the Ministry. These discussions will also give input to the new Strategic Plan. As well this Plan as the evaluation of the past planning period will be published on the SOZ website by the end of 2014,
In the coming years, many things will change for the schools in Kalwala. On one hand, this is because more people will come and live in the area. This is a result of the fact that Chinsali has become the capital of the new province Muchinga. The new offices and houses will be realized in the area between the existing center of Chinsali and the Great North Road (the main connection between Zambia and Tanzania). Kalwala is situated right in this area. The fast growth does not only mean an increasing number of pupils but also more heterogeneity. In one of the next reports, we will discuss this issue in more detail.
Apart from the quantitative growth, there is a change in the educational structure in Zambia. In 2012 a new framework for education in Zambia was adopted. The changes will affect vocational education in the sense that its position becomes more clear and its importance increases. The web page Developments in the Zambian Education System on this website discusses the reforms more extensively.
The changes in the educational structure correspond well with the strategy of Kalwala Trades School (presently Kalwala School for Continuing Education). Co-operation between the vocational oriented Trades School and the academically oriented High School has always been pursued in order to reach economy of scale and increase the accessibility.
On more than one occasion the Ministry has indicated to favor the approach in Kalwala. The integration of vocational and academic education is considered an example for the region.
To get a solid construction a so-called ring beam in included in the walls. A ring beam consists of iron rods that are cast in concrete. The iron in kept in the right position in the concrete by interconnecting three bars by triangles.
This year an office-block is being built by the students. It will consist of offices for as well the Secondary School as the School for Continuing Education. There will also be a staff room included in it. This staff room will be used by teachers of both schools. It will offer facilities like computer and Internet access.
The school continues to evolve. The course 'Bricklaying and Plastering' is offered now for the third year. All students could find a job quite easily after completion of the course. A lot of construction is going on in the region. That is partly because the nearby town of Chinsali has become the capital of the new province Muchinga.
As from this year also a program on metalwork and a course on the use of computers has started.
Second year of the Bricklaying and plastering course
Project: PiVoT - Datum:
The course 'Bricklaying and Plastering' is in its second year now. The first group has completed the program and a new group of schoolleavers has started. Business as usual one might say. The advantage is that it gives staff and management time to prepare new courses.
Last September the students doing the course on Bricklaying and Plastering went for internship . They could do their in-service training at the building site of the new teacher training college about 20 km north. By working at this - for the region - large project they get the opportunity to familiarize themselves with many aspects of building .
The school is ready to start officially. After the classrooms for theoretical lessons also the lab rooms for practical training have been completed (pictures 1, 2, 3 and 4 below). Furniture has been constructed by the school (picture 5). All preparations have been made for the course in Bricklaying and Plastering. The students have made themselves the bricks that are going to be used in classes (photo 3 on the right) and most of the tools have been purchased (picture 6). The final approval from Teveta – the Zambian organization for accreditation of vocational education – is expected shortly.
Construction of buildings is progressing. The block with two labs and the associated storage space is halfway (see pictures above). It will be available mid-February.
In August and September 2010 Marianne Willeboordse and Chris Hendriks visited the project in Kalwala Village. Progress was encouraging. The first block of five classrooms has been completed. This means that the building is there. The puchasing of chairs, blackboard, etc. is ongoing. It will not be a problem to have all facilities there before the first group starts in January 2011.
