By MAYA NTANDA –
LUANSHYA  Mayor Nathan Chanda has implored school authorities and pupils to make good use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance quality education in the country.
Mr Chanda said the use of ICT’s was of great value if used properly by teachers and pupils.
He was speaking during the handover ceremony of a computer laboratory by MTN Zambia at Mpatamatu Secondary school in Luanshya yesterday.
Mr Chanda advised pupils to desist from attempts to use ICT as a centre of anti-social activities such as cyber sex, piracy and other computer aided financial crimes.
“I would like to appeal to school authorities and pupils to make good use of the laboratory and desist from any attempts to use it as a cyber sex, piracy and other computer aided financial crimes which were retrogressive and jeopardise the advancement of Luanshya town and our country in general,” he said.
Mr Chanda commended MTN Zambia for aiding Mpatamatu Secondary School by financing the establishment of a computer laboratory which would go a long way in ensuring that pupils became computer literate to meet the demands of the modern job market.
He further appealed to MTN to consider making similar donations to other schools in Luanshya.
And MTN Zambia Northern region manager for operations Catherine Simukonda said the company was inspired by the role that Mpatamatu Secondary School plays in ensuring that Mpatamatu community receives quality education.
Ms Simukonda said regular use of ICT across different curriculum subjects can have a beneficial motivational influence on students’ learning.
She said MTN Zambia’s Corporate Social Investment focus was on education with an emphasis on digitising schools and that the initiative was called the MTN New World Connections.
Ms Simukonda said this was in line with MTN’s new vision to deliver a bold new digital world.
“The new focus will see us donate computers to schools, equip them with internet as well as provide other ICT infrastructure including Touch Screen Whiteboards for classrooms.”
She   further commended Government for allowing MTN to partner with public schools to enhance education.
The laboratory was constructed in partnership with Copperbelt Development Foundation limited and equipped with 35 computers and free internet service for one year as Zambia’s new vision to deliver a bold new digital world.