The Zambia National Union of Teachers, ZNUT in Mambwe district has expressed worry over the high number of pupils that stay away from school due to malaria.
Chairperson, Weston Phiri told Breeze News that last term about four to five pupils were reported absent in a class every week from various schools as they were suffering from malaria.
Mr. Phiri says this will result into poor performance of pupils if left unchecked because the number of pupils affected by malaria keeps increasing.
Mr. Phiri says apart from supplying malaria drugs to health facilities, government should also empower the council with funds and machinery for waste management, which could be a contributing factor to malaria cases.
And Mr. Phiri has called on government to remunerate teachers in line with the prevailing economic situation.
He says doing so will motivate teachers to work even harder and produce the best performing pupils in the province.
Meanwhile the ZNUT Mambwe district chairperson warned teachers not to engage themselves in active politics and vices that can compromise their work and relationships with the community.