WITHIN three months of being elected into office, UPND announced it would introduce free education from primary to secondary school.
And, in keeping with that promise, the new government introduced free education in January 2022.
Aimed at ensuring that all children, regardless of their financial background, have access to quality education, the policy received an overwhelming response.
Children that were hitherto unable to afford an education trooped back to the classrooms and filled them to capacity.
The decision to allow pupils who could not afford uniforms to attend classes further increased the number of children returning to the classrooms.
And despite Government recruiting 30,000 teachers in 2022 and another 7,000 subsequently and embarking on a massive infrastructure drive to build more classroom blocks in our schools and engaging our young men and women to make desks to ensure that no pupil sits on the floor in a classroom in line with President Hakainde Hichilema’s directive, challenges still persist.
The teacher-pupil ratio still falls short of the required standard and the infrastructure remains inadequate. The problem was too deep. Too many of our children had been left out of our education system and consigned to a life of poverty.
This is why we stand with President Hichilema when he says that Government will continue employing more teachers and equipping them with necessary tools to ensure the education system becomes a strong foundation to address poverty, climate change and other ills confronting society.
As we have said before, education is a game-changer, a great equaliser.
We believe investing in education is investing in the future and is the surest way of combating poverty.
For education to be an effective tool to fight poverty, climate change and other ills, teachers should be equipped with the necessary tools to impart the right knowledge and skills in our children.
It is, therefore, gratifying that Government has committed to ensuring that our teachers are provided with the necessary tools to equip our children with knowledge and skills that are aligned with our country’s development goals.
Education is the cornerstone of any society’s progress, and it is heart-warming to see Government recognising its importance. Apart from addressing the current pressing issues of poverty and climate change, investing in our teachers and education system is also empowering future generations to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.
Investing heavily in education as Government is doing will lead to a more educated and enlightened population, better equipped to contribute to Zambia’s economic growth and social development. It’s a vital investment in our human capital, one that will yield great dividends. We commend President Hichilema for his vision and commitment to creating a brighter future for all Zambians.
As we move forward, we can only urge Government to continue formulating policies to take the education system forward and strive to ensure that our teachers are competent in line with global standards.
Indeed, our teachers deserve the support and resources necessary to excel, and our children deserve access to quality education that prepares them for success.
This is why we are happy with the many reforms being undertaken by Government to promote the growth of the education sector.
The increases in the allocation to education and the provision of bursaries to less-privileged members of our society will continue to make our education system more inclusive and more effective in driving social and economic development. – https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/
Investment in education critical to addressing poverty
WITHIN three months of being elected into office, UPND announced it would introduce free education from primary to secondary school.
And, in keeping with that promise, the new government introduced free education in January 2022.
Aimed at ensuring that all children, regardless of their financial background, have access to quality education, the policy received an overwhelming response.
Children that were hitherto unable to afford an education trooped back to the classrooms and filled them to capacity.
The decision to allow pupils who could not afford uniforms to attend classes further increased the number of children returning to the classrooms.
And despite Government recruiting 30,000 teachers in 2022 and another 7,000 subsequently and embarking on a massive infrastructure drive to build more classroom blocks in our schools and engaging our young men and women to make desks to ensure that no pupil sits on the floor in a classroom in line with President Hakainde Hichilema’s directive, challenges still persist.
The teacher-pupil ratio still falls short of the required standard and the infrastructure remains inadequate. The problem was too deep. Too many of our children had been left out of our education system and consigned to a life of poverty.
This is why we stand with President Hichilema when he says that Government will continue employing more teachers and equipping them with necessary tools to ensure the education system becomes a strong foundation to address poverty, climate change and other ills confronting society.
As we have said before, education is a game-changer, a great equaliser.
We believe investing in education is investing in the future and is the surest way of combating poverty.
For education to be an effective tool to fight poverty, climate change and other ills, teachers should be equipped with the necessary tools to impart the right knowledge and skills in our children.
It is, therefore, gratifying that Government has committed to ensuring that our teachers are provided with the necessary tools to equip our children with knowledge and skills that are aligned with our country’s development goals.
Education is the cornerstone of any society’s progress, and it is heart-warming to see Government recognising its importance. Apart from addressing the current pressing issues of poverty and climate change, investing in our teachers and education system is also empowering future generations to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.
Investing heavily in education as Government is doing will lead to a more educated and enlightened population, better equipped to contribute to Zambia’s economic growth and social development. It’s a vital investment in our human capital, one that will yield great dividends. We commend President Hichilema for his vision and commitment to creating a brighter future for all Zambians.
As we move forward, we can only urge Government to continue formulating policies to take the education system forward and strive to ensure that our teachers are competent in line with global standards.
Indeed, our teachers deserve the support and resources necessary to excel, and our children deserve access to quality education that prepares them for success.
This is why we are happy with the many reforms being undertaken by Government to promote the growth of the education sector.
The increases in the allocation to education and the provision of bursaries to less-privileged members of our society will continue to make our education system more inclusive and more effective in driving social and economic development. – https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/