A newspaper arrives ready to read, but the work behind its pages is easy to overlook. On 17 October 2024, learners from Leonard Chileshe Mulenga Memorial School visited Zambia Daily Mail to see a newspaper workplace for themselves and connect their classroom learning with the people, equipment and printed pages behind the news.
The visit brought our learners into newsroom spaces, where desks and computer screens formed the setting for their introduction to the working day of a newspaper. They gathered around workstations, looked at newspaper pages and spent time with members of staff. In the production area, the group stood beside printing machinery and held up copies of the newspaper. Those moments made the finished publication feel much closer to the work that creates it.
There is a great deal to learn between a blank page and a newspaper in someone’s hands. A story needs clear writing. A page needs careful organisation. A printed copy depends on practical work and attention to detail. Seeing different parts of that environment gave learners a useful way to think about how individual responsibilities contribute to a shared result.
Seeing the purpose behind reading and writing
For Leonard Chileshe Mulenga Memorial School, experiences such as this give everyday lessons a practical setting. Reading and writing are skills children use to understand and communicate with the world. A newspaper visit makes their purpose visible: words inform readers, photographs help tell a story, and the arrangement of a page guides attention. These connections support the work of our primary school programme and give learners fresh reasons to take their own reading and writing seriously.
The visit also provides a starting point for learning to read news thoughtfully. Who is the source of a claim? What information supports it? Is a headline giving the whole picture? Encouraging children to ask these questions helps them become more careful readers and more responsible communicators. It is a habit they can practise with printed news as well as information they encounter elsewhere.
Curious readers and responsible communicators
At Leonard Chileshe Mulenga Memorial School, we are committed to helping learners develop the understanding, discipline and confidence to work towards their best results. Visits beyond the classroom can strengthen observation, listening and the ability to connect ideas. They also introduce children to working environments and possibilities they may not yet have considered. Learn more about our school and the educational purpose behind these experiences.
Thank you to the Zambia Daily Mail team for welcoming our school group, and to the staff who accompanied the learners. To our young visitors, keep reading widely, asking thoughtful questions and taking care over the words you write. The ability to communicate clearly will serve you in many parts of life.
Families interested in Leonard Chileshe Mulenga Memorial School can explore our admission process or contact the school to discuss their child’s education and arrange a visit.
Read with curiosity. Write with care. Be Different.
Moments from the day
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