•Young, vulnerable and gifted pupils need support from the community.

By HARBGUY MWAMBAZI –

ACCESS to education always brings out the necessary ambitions inside a child and gives an indication of whether his or her future will be positive.
The social set up in Zambia might not allow for all children to get a good education due to hard times some families find themselves in, such as insufficient funds.
Horizon Primary and Secondary School is making strides in trying to ensure that education reaches many children who might not have the means of paying for it.
The Turkish school recently gave out 39 bursaries to students who were vulnerable, to continue their schooling at Horizon Primary and  Secondary School.
School chairperson Calvadaro Goksal said the project of helping the vulnerable in society touched the hearts of the school administration.
He said there was need for academic institutions in Zambia to consider young gifted learners who excel in different communities but lack funds.
“As a nation we need to consistently give a helping hand to the vulnerable families in our communities. There are young children who perform well in school but are cut short with little funds to continue and that’s where us, as an academic institution, need to come in and help,” he said.
The project which is in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Zambia Turkish Business Association, started in March 2015 and has made great improvements in the lives of some of the pupils that have been helped.
Mr Goksal said the 39 scholarships were given to pupils in Grades 5, 8, 10, 11, so as to help them proceed in their quest to finish high school studies.
“The exercise was done through the Ministry of Education, which helped select the 39 pupils from different schools. The pupils were then awarded the scholarships for further progression to the target of completing their high school.
“The schools where the pupils were picked from include Twin Palm School, Kubulonga Girls Secondary, and Nyumba Yanga School.
We picked pupils who performed well on a yearly basis but lacked the necessary means of funding their education,” he said.
Ministry of Education Director of Standards and Curriculum Department Cecilia Sakala said every child in Zambia has the right to education with or without the means to access that education.
Ms Sakala said that the ministry shares the responsibility with other academic institutions in trying to  give a chance to pupils in order to further enhance their education at all times.
She said many schools take on the task of helping vulnerable children who deserve education.
Education Minister John Phiri commended schools like Horizon Primary  and  Secondary School for trying to help learners from vulnerable families in different communities of society.
Mr Phiri said academic institutions needed to uphold the trend of partnering with the ministry in order to better enable children in different places of Zambia.
He urged parents of the pupils who were awarded scholarships to consider themselves lucky.
16-year-old Caroline Mwesa, a Grade 10 pupil who was among recipients of the awards expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity.
“It was a dream come true that I was selected for the scholarship.
This is a sign that God had given me this gift to help further my education from Grade 10 to the next level,” she said. Caroline’s mother, Patricia Msoni Mwesa said she was very excited that her daughter was chosen for the scholarship as the opportunity only comes once in a life time.
She said her daughter had worked very hard to get a pass rate of 85 per cent. Fifteen-year-old Mukatimwi Mwangala, another Grade 10 pupil expressed gratitude for receiving a scholarship.
She said it had become difficult for her family to send her to school on account of financial problems.
She said Horizon Primary and Secondary School had rescued her from the brink of not proceeding to higher grades.
“Parents of the awarded kids, do not think that being vulnerable is a bad thing. You should view yourselves as being the lucky ones to see your children progress on to their intended ambitions in future.
“When we say vulnerable, let’s not be ashamed. However, let’s think of the positive 100 per cent scholarships that have been given to your children and be proud to have that privilege as it comes once in a while,” Dr Phiri said.
He encouraged parents of the students given scholarships to help their children with their studies so that a smooth adaptation can be made by their children at their new school, without forgetting their responsibility.
“It’s important that parents continue to support their kids with regards to school work, and take the time to have an interest in their performance at school, even helping them when necessary.
This chance does not mean that your responsibility is not needed. It is very much needed. That will act as a key to smooth transition from their old schools to their new one,” he said.
Over the years, some people have claimed that most Zambian pupils have not been equipped with knowledge on subjects like mathematics, believing that such subjects are too hard for the pupils.
Not long ago, on  October 7, 2015, Grade 12 candidates were writing their mathematics exams. After taking the exams which they thought was too difficult, some school pupils from Mukuba and Mindolo secondary schools as well as Chibote Girls Secondary School ran amok, destroying
property. They claimed the paper was too difficult.
Mr Phiri said that the Ministry of Education will not tolerate such behaviour from school pupils or lower the standards of mathematics exams, but will only ensure that the pupils are better equipped for examinations in the various subjects.
Horizon Primary  and Secondary School had come up with a  mechanism to support the teaching and learning of mathematics, to better enhance pupils capabilities in mathematics as they prepare for exams.
Deputy Principal at Horizon Primary  and  Secondary Harry Masuwa said the competition is another way to better help the pupils intensify their performance in mathematics.
“Many students usually complain about maths, but the competition acts as a benchmark in their performance towards the subject. We hopefully think that this will not only improve our students view towards maths but also other competing students involved,” he said.
Mr Phiri revealed that the Ministry of Education, together with Horizon Primary  and  Secondary, had recently come up with the Horizon School Bursaries Scheme aimed at helping the vulnerable to get an education each year.
He said the scheme was not a one-time exercise but an ongoing arrangement to sustain more children who are vulnerable.
Mr Phiri went on to urge the pupils who received the scholarships to aim high and not misuse their God-given opportunity to further their learning.
“No one invests money which is eaten away by rats; no one invests money in someone who will drink and smoke all day, but someone has definitely invested in you for a reason, and that is why you need to uphold this gift and aim high,” he said.
Representative of the Zambia Turkish Business Association Yosuf Eof said the association was happy to partner up with the school to see the betterment of learners from vulnerable families get access to education.
He said the association always desires to see social and educational development increase as this is an important aspect of development in Zambia.
He said the association will continue to look at ways in which further increase its support to learners who are vulnerable in various schools and in various communities in Zambia.