Copperbelt Province Minister Emmanuel Kasambo, has ordered the immediate redistribution of all teachers who abandoned rural schools on the Copperbelt. Mr Kasambo said it is unacceptable that urban schools are overcrowded with teachers, while rural schools lack staff. He said some…

 Copperbelt Province Minister Emmanuel Kasambo, has ordered the immediate redistribution of all teachers who abandoned rural schools on the Copperbelt.

Mr Kasambo said it is unacceptable that urban schools are overcrowded with teachers, while rural schools lack staff.

He said some schools in urban areas have up to seventeen teachers handling one class while some rural schools have only a few teachers handling three to four different grades.

The Minister further revealed that some teachers are physically in urban areas while sitting on rural schools’ pay points, a situation which has affected quality service delivery in rural schools.

Mr Kasambo was speaking during the Nsengele Kununka Traditional Ceremony of Chief Machiya.

He has since directed the Copperbelt Provincial Permanent Secretary and the Provincial Education Officer to identify all schools in urban areas such as Ndola, Kitwe, Mufulira and Chingola, to ensure that teachers who used rural areas as an entry point and served for only a few months are held accountable and redistributed to rural areas.

He has since warned that any teacher who refuses to comply within one week will face disciplinary action in accordance with the provisions of the law.