Almost all pupils at seven primary schools in Chief Chisunka’s area in Mansa have abandoned classes to go and catch caterpillars from the bush.
Chief Chisunka named the schools as Mutwe Wankonko, Mano, Chofye, Musungushi, Chisunka, Kapasa and Kapili. The traditional leader said in an interview that 90 percent of pupils have stopped attending classes preferring to go and help their parents and guardians to catch caterpillars.

He said during this season, school programmess in his chiefdom get paralysed because children like going into the bush to catch caterpillars, which are a delicacy to many people. “I have received information from school authorities that almost all pupils at seven primary schools are not attending lessons because they have gone to catch caterpillars,” he said.

Chief Chisunka said there is an influx of businesswomen and men buying caterpillars and pupils are among people in his area who have taken advantage of the economic boom to make money. He said most parents in the chiefdom are not able to buy school requirements and other necessities for their children, hence they take advantage of the caterpillar season to raise money for school fees and other requirements. “I am not encouraging children to abandon school in preference for going into the bush to catch caterpillars.

“I cannot do anything because some teenage girls walk without pants and they use the money to buy such things,” Chief Chisunka said.
The traditional leader said poverty is the major contributor to the problem. Chief Chisunka said he will summon all parents to caution them against entertaining retrogressive tendencies such as encouraging their children to abandon classes for the purpose of catching caterpillars.