Home  Education and Training
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Education and Training
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Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Education |
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Increasing investments in Zambia’s education sector are aimed at enhancing the capabilities and capacities of the country’s human resource base, thus contributing towards the future growth of the nation.
Education in Zambia covers a wide spectrum of formal, non-formal, private and community-based initiatives. The present aim of the sector is to enhance access to educational facilities and improve the standard of education for pupils at every level – from pre-school to tertiary studies.
Following the economic challenges of the 1990s, characterised by deteriorating school infrastructure, insufficient numbers of schools, falling enrolment and low transition rates, government’s renewed focus on the education system in recent years has seen education indicators improving markedly. Much of this may be attributed to the introduction of free primary education in 2002, with primary school enrolment increasing from 65 percent in 2002 to 89 percent in 2005. Zambia thus looks set to achieve the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education for all children by 2015.
Future commitments
Further funds are being channelled towards education, with 15.4 percent of the 2008 budget being allocated to the sector. Key activities to be undertaken comprise the recruitment of teachers, procurement of educational materials and construction of classrooms and teachers’ houses.
It is estimated that the Government will recruit 5 000 teachers in 2008. As a retention strategy, a number of schemes will be developed to improve the environment for teachers in rural areas. With K350 billion set aside for infrastructure development, major projects include ongoing construction of 31 high schools and an extra 1 500 classrooms at basic and high school levels to increase overall enrolment and ensure that all seven year olds are enrolled in Grade 1.
Furthermore, the policy of free education up to Grade 7 is being revisited, with government intending to provide free education from grades 1 to 12. This is aimed at ensuring that as many young Zambians as possible are able to access much-needed education without being hindered by an inability to pay school fees. Part and parcel of improving education standards is the promotion of science and technology awareness programmes, with ICT training to be encouraged in all schools starting from primary through to tertiary educational institutions.
In 2008, government will also provide resources to upgrade infrastructure and support operations at the newly-established Mulungushi University. Additional resources will be provided to upgrade Nkrumah and Copperbelt Secondary School Teacher Training colleges so that they are able to offer degree programmes. |
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