Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is pleased to join the rest of the World in commemorating the Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) which was launched on Sunday 27th April 2025 by the Ministry of Education. GAWE is an annual event organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). GAWE 2025 serves as a platform to mobilize stakeholders such as governments, civil society organizations, educators, and communities to address these challenges and advocate for continuity of learning in emergencies transformative education that meets the needs of all learners.
The theme for 2025 is “Education saves lives: Protect education in emergencies!”. Education in Emergencies refers to the quality learning opportunities for all ages in situations of crisis, including Early Childhood Development, primary, secondary, non-formal, technical, vocational and adult education. Education in emergencies needs to provide physical, psychosocial, and cognitive protection that can sustain and save lives. common situations of crisis in which education in emergencies is essential include conflicts, situations of violence, forced displacement, disasters, and public health emergencies like the covid-19 pandemic and cholera.
In line with the GCE calls for GAWE 2025, ZANEC call on government, international institutions, and the donor community with the following recommendations:
1.Protect and Guarantee the Right to Education in Crisis Contexts:
- Ensure the safety and protection of schools, educators, and school communities. Strengthen public education systems with local preparedness and emergency planning.
- Provide inclusive Gender-transformative, and accessible formal and non-formal learning path ways for all learners at all levels in emergency contexts ECD, primary, secondary, Technical and Vocational Education and Training TVET and Adult Literacy Education (ALE).
- Promote psychosocial support, social and emotional learning, and transformative education approaches.
- Implement social welfare and health programs to support both learners and teachers during emergencies.
- Safeguard students’ rights to education, academic freedom, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.
- Align National Priorities with Global Commitments
- Uphold international humanitarian law and protect students, educators, and institutions from attacks, violence and gender-based harm.
- Endorse and implement key frameworks including the Safe Schools Declaration. Implement the Transforming Education Summit and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 commitments towards building resilient and sustainable public education systems able to prepare, respond and reconstruct education in times of crises.
- Support and Invest in Teachers
- Guarantee fair pay, training, and protection for teachers for education to continue in times of emergencies. It is important that teachers know how to administer remote learning using various digital platforms.
- Equip teachers to educate learners about disaster risks, climate change, human rights, conflict resolution, and peaceful coexistence. Support teacher and learner wellbeing before, during, and after crises.
- Ensure Sustainable and Equitable Financing for Education in Emergencies (EiE)
- Integrate EiE financing into national education budgets and plans. The government should mobilise domestic resources to finance quality public education systems, reimagining education in emergencies a sustainable long-term perspective.
- Increase Budgetary allocation to the Education Sector to at least 20 per cent of the National Budget.
- Zero rate tax on Information Communication Technology equipment, software, and concession internet connectivity for schools and institutions of learning to facilitate the use of innovative educational resources and teaching methods.
- Increase revenue generation for education by introducing an Education Levy on certain popular commodities on the market in the country.
ZANEC also takes this opportunity to applaud the government for the curriculum reform that have aligned education system with the needs of the contemporary world by emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and entrepreneurship as well as continuity of learning in times of emergencies. It is good that the government is establishing Early Childhood Education (ECE) hubs and centres in all provinces under the Zambia Enhancing Early Learning (ZEEL) project which is a positive step towards reaching the goal of having 300, 000 children accessing quality ECE by December 2025. Increased budgetary allocation to the school feeding programme from ZMW 111.7 million in 2024 to ZMW 534.4 million in 2025 will ensure that all learners access quality
We wish everyone God’s blessing as we commemorate the 2025 GAWE.
George Hamusunga
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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