NAQEZ slams govt officials for refusing to send their children to public schools despite free education policy

The Executive Director of the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ), Dr. Aaron Chansa, has criticized senior government officials for praising free education while refusing to take their own children to government schools.

Chansa questioned why ministers, permanent secretaries, and other senior officials avoid congested public schools.

“But why should these senior government officials shun public schools? What is it that they are afraid of in these public schools?” he asked in a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday.

He described it as immoral for officials to enroll their children in mission or private schools instead of the very public schools they champion.

“Senior government officials have no moral authority to praise the free education policy when they are only prepared to take their children to mission schools or private schools,” Chansa said.

He listed a wide range of officials who, in his view, avoid public schools: “DEBSs, DCs, PEOs, DPSs, Directors, Permanent Secretaries, Members of Parliament, Judges, Constitutional office holders, and Ministers.”

Chansa challenged officials to publicly confirm if any of them actually send their children to congested government schools.

“The country requires leaders who can prepare the fritters (‘Chitumbuwa’) and participate in eating it,” he said, emphasizing the need for policymakers to experience the realities of public education.

He also called on President Hakainde Hichilema to comment on the issue, saying: “Since the President sees education as the best equalizer, which I totally agree with, I would like him to make a comment on the issue I have raised above, that most of his officials shun public schools.”

Chansa questioned how schools could improve when policymakers are not affected by challenges such as inadequate desks, textbooks, computers, and overcrowded classrooms.

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