A top government official has described as ‘indispensable’ Konkola Copper Mines’ (KCM) contribution to the growth of the education sector in Zambia. Chishimba Nkosha, the permanent secretary for the ministry of education, science, vocational training and early education, said when he commissioned a class room complex at the KCM Konkola Trust School in Chililabombwe, that the government valued its partnership with the company in providing quality education.

He said KCM’s support to the education sector was aligned with the government’s policy to increase enrolment in both public and private schools to ensure attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in education.

The new class room complex comprises four class rooms, a staff room, a kitchen, a specialist class for practical subjects and other facilities intended to provide adequate learning space for students at the school. KCM runs two schools, which provide education to over 2,200 students in Chililabombwe and Chingola.

“I have no doubt that the commissioning of the new classroom block will contribute significantly to the creation of a conducive learning and teaching environment for the pupils and their teachers, respectively. This will in turn produce a multiplier effect leading to the attainment of excellent results in academic performance,” Mr Nkosha said.

Mr Nkosha also said he was proud of KCM schools’ achievements in the 2013 Zambia national examinations in which they produced a 100% pass rate at primary, junior secondary and high school levels.

“We are proud of KCM’s achievement through its schools.”

Mr Nkosha said KCM’s response to the country’s two-tier education system, which encourages the teaching of practical sciences, as well as its foreign university study scholarships awarded annually to 15 high-performers from the KCM schools was a commendable effort towards educating future industry leaders.

KCM Chief Executive Officer Steven Din said at the same occasion that the company valued it programmes targeted at educating young Zambians, who are the future leaders.

“As a result of the importance we attach to education, KCM has consistently been improving educational standards and expanding our two schools, Nchanga Trust School in Chingola and Konkola Trust School,” Mr Din said.

He said enrolment at the schools has in the last 10 years increased to more than 2,000 from the initial 600 primary school pupils in school when Vedanta took over KCM.