Africa-Press – Zambia. The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has observed that effects of the free education policy if not well managed, may have serious short, medium and long term educational scars in the country.
NAQEZ Executive Director, Aaron Chansa says while the international community, Africa, including his organisation and the whole nation commend the new dawn government for the bold and progressive free education concept from Pre-school to grade 12, the unprecedented overcrowding in classes across the country has threatened the very essence of attending school.
Mr. Chansa stated this in a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today. “Our schools and teachers are now stunned and overwhelmed beyond measure. The education system was clearly not ready for this phenomenon,” he noted.
Mr. Chansa further observed that the overwhelming response to the free education policy, mostly by the poor citizens, is making the teacher- pupil ratios in classes much more unhealthy, creating uncharacteristic environments for teaching and learning.
“Even the best teachers are failing to teach .This is dangerous for Zambia,” he added.
The NAQEZ Executive Director noted that currently, the need for desks has become a national emergency while noting that before the free education policy, the public education sector had a shortage of more than 1.3 million desks. He regretted that scenes of learners sitting on the floor whilst learning are disturbing and must never be associated with the new dawn Government.
“The entire Africa is waiting to see how Zambia shall deliver the free education to its people .It is either we shall emerge as a glittering example on this score or as a nation that will fail to manage a good educational policy,” he said.
Mr. Chansa further pleaded with the Ministry of Finance to release more money out of the K2.1 billion appropriated for schools in 2022, especially for those schools which have received inadequate funds for term 1. He said it is not enough to release only K324 million for the first term adding that some schools will literally fail to run this term.
“We also appeal to government to urgently make the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) available to communities so that part of the money can be used to buy desks, expansion of classroom spaces and construction of houses for teachers. The recruitment of the 30,000 new teachers is now more important than ever before,” Mr. Chansa urged.
And Mr. Chansa advised that government may consider abolishing TV Levy and introduce Education Levy next year in order to significantly improve funding of education in Zambia. He has since reiterated the need for free but quality education stating that poorly educated people are a danger to society.
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