By 
The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia has rated the UPND Administration at 35 percent for quality education and 90 percent for promoting access to education over the last five years.
NAQEZ Executive Director Dr. Aaron Chansa said the administration had performed well on access by abolishing school fees and examination fees at primary and secondary levels, and through programs targeting vulnerable learners.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, Chansa commended the government for reforms to the curriculum and national education policy, making free education law, reinstating meal allowances, and providing grants to schools.
“On access to education, the administration has done very well by abolishing school fees and examination fees at both primary and secondary school levels,” he said.
Chansa noted that the Keeping Girls in Schools and school feeding programs, along with CDF bursaries for boarding schools, have helped thousands of children from vulnerable families access education.
He said the administration had performed poorly on the quality of education due to overcrowding, inadequate desks, textbooks, and inconsistent literacy programs.
“Because of too much overcrowding in most government schools, inadequate desks, inadequate text books and inconsistent literacy programs, Zambia today has more than 90percent learning poverty,” Chansa stated.
Read More: Education ministry reaffirms zero tolerance for abuse, urges calm in Senanga case
He said most learners from grade 1 to grade 5 are unable to read and write, calling it dangerous for the country.
Chansa also said most graduates at different levels have little to show for passing through the education system, and that college and university leavers struggle to perform in industry.
He said the administration had done badly on teacher motivation, with thousands of teachers not upgraded to higher salary scales or substantively confirmed after acting for years.
Chansa said the shift to a new curriculum had been chaotic, with inadequate teacher orientation and missing textbooks.
“Firstly, the orientation of teachers was inadequately done and up to now, new text books are not yet in schools,” he said.
Chansa also claimed that schools were also not equipped with tools needed for competence-based teaching and learning.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments