EQUALS revive science subjects in CDSS

EQUALS revive science subjects in CDSS

By Andrew Ndhlovu

The Equity with Quality and Learning at Secondary Project (EQUALS) has helped to revitalize the quality of science and mathematics instruction in Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) and increase access to secondary education in selected remote areas in the country.

Acting manager for South East Education Division in Zomba Edna Manyongwa said the coming of EQUALS project it will help in improving science and mathematics education in her area and country at large.

“At first student did not have facilities to do their experiments in Biology and Physics which made a lot of learners not to enroll in those subject and even failing during examination.

“But now with the coming in of EQUALS project this will certainly increase numbers of learners who want to study science subjects and even those who were doing better in sciences the pass rate will increase as they have the learning materials at hand now,” Manyongwa said.

She further said that she was happy with the project as this has improved the number of learners to take part in science subjects.

“We are happy with the project and that now all schools have adequate sciences laboratories that student can use now and pass their examinations without facing any challenges of insufficient learning materials,” Manyongwa said.

She added that with EQUALS project teachers have been trained in teaching science subjects.

“Teachers have been trained in Physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics and that has increased the capacity for teachers for effectively implementing school curriculum,” Manyongwa said.

In his remarks Namadidi CDSS Head teacher Stainley Mpingiza said that the EQUALS project has transformed the school as they had only two school blocks.

“In the past we had only two structures here but with EQUALS we have now two laboratories and two new classrooms that can accommodate fifty learners. With those structures alone it is the motivation to the learners as the can now learn their favorable science subject with all necessary equipment at their disposal,” Mpingiza said.

However, he said before coming of EQUALS project they had no chairs in class rooms and when it was time for conducting experiments they were doing experiments in the classrooms which was hard for learners to understand.

Senior Traditional Authority Mlumbe in Zomba said they are happy with the development.

“I want to thank the Dr. Lazarus Chakwera led government for giving us this development in our area as this will help our children to do well in science subject and even when they graduate they can implement those skills in developing this nation,” T/A Mlumbe said.

EQUALS project is being Implemented in 13 education districts namely Chitipa, Karonga, Kasungu, Salima, Mchinji, Lilongwe Rural East, Balaka, Zomba Rural, Chikwawa, Mwanza, Neno, Phalombe and Mulanje which the World Bank is funding to the tune of 90 million dollars.