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The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has called for an independent audit into the utilisation of school grants across all districts, alongside an immediate stop to the diversion and misuse of free education funds.
In July 2023, NAQEZ raised concerns with the Ministry of Education regarding alleged mismanagement of school grants and the need to protect Head Teachers from coercion and unlawful directives.
However, the organisation said the situation has not improved.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, NAQEZ Executive Director, Dr. Aaron Chansa, demanded prosecution of all officials found abusing or facilitating the misuse of public education funds.
He urged the government to take decisive action against what he described as ongoing systematic and systemic abuse of free education grants within the Ministry.
“These grants were introduced to support teaching and learning in public schools, not to finance administrative excesses, workshops and questionable activities which do not directly benefit learners,” Chansa said.
He noted with concern that despite the alarm raised in 2023, senior ministry officials had continued holding costly workshops and meetings funded using school grants.
According to NAQEZ, this persistent misuse undermines accountability and the true purpose of the free education policy.
Chansa reminded the nation of a 2014 Ministry of Finance report which exposed large-scale abuse of education funds, revealing that over K356 million had been misapplied in the Ministry of Education.
He said it was alarming that, as of February 2026, similar patterns appeared to be continuing without noticeable reform or accountability.
He stressed that Head Teachers should not be blamed, stating that many of them act under pressure from higher authorities—among them the Permanent Secretary, Provincial Education Officers and District Education Board Secretaries—who allegedly compel schools through verbal or written orders to divert grants towards activities unrelated to learners’ welfare.
Chansa highlighted reports that some district education offices were forcing schools to finance Teaching Service Commission sittings using school grants, a practice he labelled unlawful and unethical.
Read More: Group raises the alarm over delayed disbursement of 2026 school grants
He disclosed that NAQEZ had gathered credible evidence of these abuses and will not hesitate to expose individuals responsible.
He further criticised the continued silence of Education Minister Douglas Syakalima, saying strong leadership was needed where public resources meant for vulnerable learners were being misused.
“If urgent corrective action is not taken, the noble intentions behind the free education policy will be fundamentally undermined and will not be appreciated by the people of Zambia,” he warned.
Chansa added that the misuse of grants deprived schools of essential teaching and learning resources and threatened public confidence in one of government’s most important social investments.
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