PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has asked parents and guardians to monitor their children's behaviour to ensure that they attend school and learn as required.

Majaliwa made the call in the National Assembly during questions and answers session, when responding to a question from Sikonge MP Joseph Kakunda who wanted to know the governments’ strategy to ensure that all pupils finish school except those who pass away.

"The government continues to strengthen children's attendance by building good relationship with parents and guardians to ensure that every parent supervises their child's attendance. When they return home, parents should monitor the progress to be sure that the child actually goes to school," he said.

At secondary school level, he said: “We are strengthening construction of dormitories for female and male pupils so that they can study there, sleep there and play there.”

He said instructions had already been given to all district councils as they are in charge of primary and secondary schools to construct dormitories.

 “We have also strengthened our Quality Assurance Institute; one of its responsibilities is to monitor the number of pupils registered in class and it is required to question why others are not present according to their registration,” he said.

“We believe that through these measures, absenteeism will decrease and we will begin to see registered pupils finish school by 98 percent.”

Majaliwa was responding a question by Special Seats MP Stella Fiyao who sought to know the government’s plan to provide education to everyone.

The PM said that the government continues to work on the issue through improvements of the education policy that are currently being carried out.

“We continue to provide education in collaboration with the environmental committees of each village on conservation and border protection and we give them the power to manage those areas,” he said.

“I call on all conservationists who guard the protected areas to build solidarity with the people who live in the vicinity of those areas by creating a habit of negotiating with village leaders.”