CDF, BURSARIES BOOST ENROLMENT AND PERFORMANCE AT NCHELENGE SECONDARY SCHOOL

 

Learners at Nchelenge Secondary School have attributed increased enrolment, improved performance and better welfare to the Free Education Policy and Constituency Development Fund (CDF) bursaries, following the handover of rehabilitated hostels and 400 mattresses by Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Prudence Chinama-Kangwa.

 

During the commissioning exercise held on Tuesday in Nchelenge District, Mrs. Chinama-Kangwa said government was encouraged by testimonies from pupils themselves, noting that they were living proof of the strides being made under the New Dawn Government.

 

She said the surge in school enrolment was a direct result of free education and targeted CDF investments, which had removed barriers to access and improved learning conditions, adding that education remained the foundation of national development.

 

In a vote of thanks, Senior Prefect Mazuba Kanenga said the new hostels and mattresses will ease serious accommodation challenges, which previously saw learners sharing beds and sleeping uncomfortably.

 

Kanenga, however, raised concern over sanitation, stating that the boys’ section alone had over 500 pupils sharing only four toilets, a situation he said posed health risks such as cholera, diarrhoea and fungal infections, and appealed to government to prioritize the construction of ablution facilities.

 

Meanwhile, School Head Girl Regina Kalumba highlighted the transformative impact of CDF secondary school bursaries and free education, revealing that enrolment at the school had increased from about 200 pupils in previous years to over 800 learners.

 

She said the bursaries had enabled many pupils from vulnerable backgrounds to remain in school, describing the policy as a lifeline to hundreds of families in the district.

 

Speaking earlier, Education Standards Officer – Special Education, Peter Kabwe, on behalf of the District Education Board Secretary, said the CDF-supported hostels and mattresses had significantly improved learner welfare and contributed to better academic outcomes.

 

Mr. Kabwe disclosed that Nchelenge District emerged number one in the 2025 Grade 9 and Grade 12 examination results, attributing the achievement to improved learning environments and sustained government support.

 

He urged the school, learners and the surrounding community to take ownership of the facilities to ensure they continue benefiting future generations, as government remains committed to ensuring that no child is left behind.