Mangochi District Council vice-chairperson Twaha Salanje has advised youths in the district to concentrate on education instead of trekking to South Africa (SA).
He said this on Friday at Lungwena Primary School in the district where he presided over activities marking the Day of the African Child which falls on June 16.
Salanje said much as going to SA is attractive and not wrong, youths in the district should strive to attain higher education to land good jobs both at home and abroad.
“We have role models in Mangochi to emulate. We do not have issues with those going to South Africa, but we are saying first go to school and attain higher education so that you make yourself marketable for good jobs,” he said.
Salanje decried high school dropout rate in the district, a development he said has compelled the council to formulate by-laws to enhance children’s right to education.
The district’s desk officer for primary education, Noel Mzunga, acknowledged the challenges in the education sector.
He, therefore, said the event was a good platform to sensitise parents and the communities to take issues of education seriously.
Mzunga said with the help of non-governmental organisations in the district, the education sector has put in place interventions to ensure that children are completing school.
The Day of African Child commemorations were held under the theme Leaving No Child Behind.
The event started with a march led by children and was spiced up by poems, drama and songs with deliberate messages talking about the importance of education.
