ZANEC

Author: ZANEC

  • ZANEC’S PRESS STATEMENT ON THE NULLIFIED EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS RESULTS

    ZANEC’S PRESS STATEMENT ON THE NULLIFIED EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS RESULTS

    The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) would like to add its voice to the current debate on the nullified 8778 results.

    The Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) Director Dr. Michael Chilala announced on 19th December 2022, that 8778 results for both GCE and Grade 9 external examinations were nullified out of the 143,351 candidates who sat for the 2022 external examinations.

    It is puzzling that 6.1% of those who sat for the examinations had their results nullified. This begs for serious answers from ECZ as well as school managers on how the examination systems were so porous as to allow so many candidates to be involved in malpractices. It is common knowledge that examinations are seriously invigilated by teachers and security officers in the various examination centres. How then were the pupils able to involve themselves in this malpractice?

    Furthermore, we would like to know what criteria ECZ used to nullify the results because while it may have been possible for the candidates to have involved themselves in malpractice, nullifying so many results shows that there are serious loopholes within the examination system that allows for examination malpractices to occur. This creates room for doubt on the calibre of school leavers we have in Zambia as well as the standards of examinations we administer in this Country.

    We are, therefore, appealing to all CSOs and stakeholders to put ECZ to task as they are the custodians of exams in Zambia. If we let the authorities heap the blame on the candidates only, we risk failing to address the root causes.

    I thank you and God bless you all.

    For/ZANEC

    George Hamusunga.

    Executive Director

  • ZANEC PRESS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

    ZANEC PRESS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

    Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is pleased to join the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of Persons with Disabilities which falls on 3rd December.  This day is special because it aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. One of rights it reminds us of is the right for all persons with disabilities to access quality education. Education is key and should be accessible by anyone regardless of their abilities as it safeguards everyone’s future.

    This year’s theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”.   Indeed, the theme has come at the right time when governments from all UN member countries engaged in the transformation of their education systems following the triple education crisis of relevance, equity and learning poverty exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic. Most digital learning solutions adopted by countries globally to provide continuity of learning in homes failed to reach learners with special education needs.

    In Zambia, access to education for learners with special education needs (LSEN) is low, while drop-out rates are very high. For instance, ZANEC notes with sadness that the 2021 Grade 12 Examination Results showed that only 147 candidates registered for the examinations out of which 145 sat for the examinations. This means that only 7% of LSEN sat for the examination from the 2,096 that were in Grade 10 in 2019. This is worrisome because it shows that children with disabilities are dropping out of school in large numbers, which defeats the government commitment of “leaving no one behind”. Further according to the 2019 Education Statistical Bulletin of the Ministry of Education, there are 110, 320 children with special education needs at primary school level compared to 20, 072 learners at secondary school level.  The Global Partnership for Education estimates that 90% of children with disabilities in low and lower-middle income countries do not go to school. It is for this reason that deliberate efforts should be made to ensure that children with disabilities access and finish formal education.

    Therefore, we call upon the government:

    • To take keen interest in the prevailing inequalities and invest more resources and incentives to promote inclusion and equity in our schools if Zambia is to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4 on inclusive quality education for all.
    • It is also important for Zambia to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. It should be noted that Article 24 of the convention clearly affirms the right of to education for persons with disabilities on the basis of equal opportunity.
    • Invest in the establishment of inclusive education systems supported by the presence of early assessment centres for children with disabilities from provincial to district level.
    • Construct more special schools and institutions for children with severe special education needs.

    Finally, ZANEC wishes all stakeholders working with persons with disabilities a successful commemoration of the International Day of Persons with disabilities.

     

    For/ZANEC

    George Hamusunga

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • ZANEC Press Statement on the 2022 Grade 9 External and GCE Examination

    ZANEC Press Statement on the 2022 Grade 9 External and GCE Examination

    Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is pleased that the Minister of Education Honourable Douglas Syakalima MP released the 2022 Junior Secondary School Grade 9 External Examination results and the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examination Results.

    First and foremost, ZANEC is happy that the national failure rate for 2022 GCE Examinations decreased from 13.66 percent in 2021 to 11.61 percent in 2022. We also commend the Examinations Council that there were no leakages recorded in both the Grade 9 and GCE Examinations. From a gender perspective ZANEC is pleased that more females are entering for external examinations both at junior secondary and GCE level. This is commendable given that more females than males drop out of school as they proceed to higher grades.

    However, ZANEC is saddened with,

    1. The increase by 2.27% and 1.9% of candidates that were absent from the examination at grade 9 and GCE levels respectively.
    2. The largest failure rates recorded at Grade 9 level which was in the English Language at 63.97% and Mathematics at 51.86%.
    3. The reports of both individual and whole center malpractice related cases involving smuggling of unauthorised materials such as phones in the examination rooms, collusion, copying, impersonation and assistance.

    To this effect, ZANEC is recommending the following in order to address the above challenges.

    1. The Ministry of Education through the Examinations Council of Zambia should commission a study to investigate the cause of candidate absenteeism in examinations and use the evidence to devise interventions that will help address this perennial problem.
    2. There is need for our curriculum to place a premium on foundational skills relating to early grade reading and numeracy if we are to reduce the failure rates in English and Mathematics.
    3. The Examination Council of Zambia must implement a robust campaign aimed at educating prospective examination candidates and teachers on the various examination malpractices and their associated consequences.

    For/ZANEC

    George Hamusunga

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • ZANEC 2023 PRE-BUDGET PRESS STATEMENT ON EDUCATION AND SKILLS

    ZANEC 2023 PRE-BUDGET PRESS STATEMENT ON EDUCATION AND SKILLS

    The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is looking forward to the presentation of the 2023 National Budget by the Minister of Finance Hon. Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane (MP).  Firstly, we would like to indicate that our expectations on the 2023 national budget detailed in this statement were also submitted to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning in collaboration with ActionAid TaxEd Alliance and the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) in June 2022.

    Specifically, our expectations on the revenue side of the budget are fourfold.

    1. We expect that the budget will consider broadening the skills development levy into an education levy that will provide dedicated funding for the education sector.
    2. We expect government to remove harmful tax exemptions and incentives to ensure that multi-national corporations pay the prescribed statutory corporate tax of 30% instead of the 19% being realized currently. This measure can help realize additional revenue of $406 million.
    3. We also look forward to the re-instatement of the mineral revenue sharing mechanism (MRSM) clause in the mines and minerals development Act and Policy. This will help increase revenue generation for the country which can be channelled to the education sector.
    4. Renegotiate and restructure the debt by pursuing multiple solutions such debt cancellation, debt swap and favourable repayment terms.

    Our recommendations on the expenditure side of the budget are as follows.

    1. Increase the share of the education budget from the current 10.4% to at least 15% of the national budget.
    2. Prioritize the procurement of education inputs such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, desks, toilets, teachers’ houses as well as teaching and learning materials at all levels from Early Childhood Education (ECE) to secondary education. This will help enhance the delivery of free education of good quality.
    3. Creation of a budget line targeting gender transformative and inclusive quality education under the Ministry of Education to address teacher training for inclusive education, provision of assistive technologies, appropriate teaching and learning materials, and home-based education for learners with disabilities who cannot access regular schools.
    4. Increase the budgetary allocation for tertiary education to ensure support towards more student scholarships, payment of student meal allowances and infrastructure development.

    For/ZANEC

    George Hamusunga

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • CALL FOR ZANEC 2022 EDUCATION AND SKILLS SECTOR MEDIA AWARDS

    CALL FOR ZANEC 2022 EDUCATION AND SKILLS SECTOR MEDIA AWARDS

    https://zanec.org.zm/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/CALL-FOR-ZANEC-2022-EDUCATION-AND-SKILLS-SECTOR-MEDIA-AWARDS-FINAL.pdf

     

  • ZANEC PRESS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY

    ZANEC PRESS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY

    The Zambia National Educational Coalition (ZANEC) is pleased to join the rest of the world in commemorating International Literacy Day which falls today 8th September, 2022.  Literacy, which simply refers to one’s ability to read and write should be a must especially in this era where almost everything is being digitalized. The important role that literacy plays in a person’s wellbeing and the ability to contribute to national development cannot be over-emphasized. Despite the important role that literacy plays in our education system, we note with sadness that youth and adult literacy education continue to be least resourced in the Education and Skills Sector as evidenced from the analysis of the 2022 National Budget allocation to the Education and Skills Sector by ZANEC.

     

    This year’s theme is “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces”. According to the Cambridge English dictionary, transformation means a complete change in the appearance or character of something, especially for purposes of improvement. A transformation is therefore an extreme radical change. As we can deduce from this definition, it is indeed important to transform spaces that we have been using to deliver literacy. This is because the COVID 19 pandemic brought about a wakeup call not to do things as usual in the Education and Skills Sector. Learning should no longer be confined to a classroom or meeting physically.  Instead, we need to embrace blended learning spaces that combine face to face and remote learning modes in order to mitigate against the learning loss that has resulted from the closure of schools due to the COVID 19 pandemic. We need learning spaces that can help us provide continuity of learning even during calamities such as the COVID 19 pandemic. It has been observed that although digital learning is key in providing continuity of learning in homes, not everyone has access to digital platforms, hence the need for investment in digital infrastructure especially in rural areas. Therefore, there is need to narrow down or completely reduce the digital divide between the vulnerable and the privileged people to ensure equitable access to e-learning platforms.

    The main challenge that our education system is currently facing is the low literacy levels even among our children at primary school level. with only 5% of grade 7 pupils achieving minimum proficiency in literacy according to the 2018 report by the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, our education system is experiencing a foundational literacy crisis. Therefore, something needs to be done now to reverse the status quo.

    ZANEC is saddened that according to UNESCO, nearly 24 million learners might never return to formal education post COVID 19, out of which, 11 million are projected to be girls and young women. Further, according to the Zambia demographic health survey of 2018, people living in urban areas are more likely to be literate than those living in rural areas, although the gap in literacy rates between urban and rural populations is higher among women than among men. Eighty-one percent of urban women and 91% of urban men are literate, as compared with 54% of rural women and 74% of rural men.  It is also evident that most people in our communities are unable to access Constituency Development Funds (CDF) because they are unable to read and write.

    To ensure no one is left behind, we need to enrich and transform the existing learning spaces through an integrated approach and enable literacy learning in the perspective of lifelong learning. The characteristics of youth and adult learners, their evolving needs for literacy learning such as flexibility, proximity, ease of access, and link with the labour market are guiding factors for the transformation of literacy learning spaces. The transformation of literacy learning spaces not only entails the management of physical facilities more sustainably but also comprises changes in the governance structure of education systems and institutions by allowing the outcomes of literacy from informal and non-formal settings to be recognized, validated, and accredited through flexible data-driven monitoring and evaluation processes.

    Therefore, we also take the opportunity to appeal to our government through the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds to recruit more adult literacy instructors targeting all the provinces and not only one province as it was in the 2022 national budget.

    ZANEC wish all of you a fruitful international literacy day commemoration.

    For/ZANEC

    George Hamusunga

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

     

  • READVERTISED TERMS OF REFERENCE TO ENGAGE A CONSULTANT TO UPLOAD APPROVED LEARNING MATERIALS ON THE ZANEC INTERACTIVE INFORMATION DIGITAL LIBRARY

    READVERTISED TERMS OF REFERENCE TO ENGAGE A CONSULTANT TO UPLOAD APPROVED LEARNING MATERIALS ON THE ZANEC INTERACTIVE INFORMATION DIGITAL LIBRARY

    READVERTISED TERMS OF REFERENCE TO ENGAGE A CONSULTANT TO UPLOAD APPROVED LEARNING MATERIALS ON THE ZANEC INTERACTIVE INFORMATION DIGITAL LIBRARY

     

  • WELCOME REMARKS READ BY THE ZANEC VICE BOARD SECRETARY, MR. CHISANGA MUMBA DURING THE SENSITISATION MEETING WITH FEMALE STUDENTS ON FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP HELD ON 14TH JULY, 2022 IN LIVINGSTONE

    WELCOME REMARKS READ BY THE ZANEC VICE BOARD SECRETARY, MR. CHISANGA MUMBA DURING THE SENSITISATION MEETING WITH FEMALE STUDENTS ON FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP HELD ON 14TH JULY, 2022 IN LIVINGSTONE

    District Education Board Secretary

    Deans of Students Present

    Student Leaders Present

    Civil Society Organisations Present

    Members of the Press

    May I simply say Ladies and Gentlemen, all Protocols observed

    It is my honor and privilege to welcome you distinguished guests to this sensitisation meeting with female students on female participation in the Leadership. Your presence in this meeting shows the importance you attach to issues of equal participation in leadership positions by both female and male students in higher learning institutions.

     

    For those of you who may not be aware, ZANEC is a Coalition of non-state actors working in the Education and Skills Sector. The organisation is involved in research, advocacy and member capacity building on different aspects of the Education and Skills Sector in Zambia. ZANEC members comprise of Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBO’s), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Teacher Trade Unions and Student Unions. The membership of ZANEC currently stands at 89 Member Organisations spread across the country.

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    Through ZANEC continued advocacy on academic freedom in higher learning institutions, it has come to our attention that very few female students participate in union leadership.  At national level the low representation of the female gender can be seen from the last general elections that Zambia had on 12th August 2021, were only 15% of women Parliamentarians were elected. Similarly, only 4 females aspired to stand for elections during the ZANASU election held in July 2021, out of which 2 were elected as Deputy Secretary General and Gender Secretary, meaning the entire ZANASU Congress and Executive put together has only two females out of 13 positions, representing 15%. It is important to note that Zambia is part of the SADC Gender Protocol that indicates that there should be 50/50 representation of men and women in decision making positions.  Sadly, for Zambia this is not the case. After 57 years of independence the country only has 15% of women as Members of Parliament.

    The major cause of low representation of women in Zambia is the patriarchal views on traditional gender roles are still a reality and restrict women’s participation leadership positions. The societal conventions regarding gender and leadership traditionally exclude women, and top leadership is viewed as a masculine domain. For example, common saying “behind every successful man is a woman”, depict the roles and positions that have been assigned to both gender parties and these should not be entertained if Zambia is to attain gender equality and equity in decision making positions. The other factor to low participation of women has been low education and literacy levels among women compared to men.

     

     

    It is in this vein that ZANEC has continued to support Female Student Network in Zambia whose aim is to inspire female leaders on the importance of holding leadership positions and female student empowerment in student structures.

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    The aim of this meeting is to encourage female students to take up leadership positions. Furthermore, to create appreciation by female students on the importance of representing their own interests through unionism. And to provide leadership mentorship and seeking solutions to challenges inhibiting the effective participation of females in unionism. The expected outcomes are:

    1. Strengthen the female network and its coordination in Southern Province as well as other parts of the country.
    2. Motivating the female students to take up leadership positions in their various institutions of higher learning.
    3. Identify measures to strengthen female participation in student unionism.

    This meeting will be characterized by presentations on female participation in Leadership and the tactics to acquire leadership positions.   And another presentation on Female Network and its purpose.  ZANEC is pleased because we are expected to come up with action points that we are encouraged to share in our higher learning institutions that we are representing and act upon them to foster female participation.

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    ZANEC is grateful to the Norwegian Student and Academic International Assistance (SAIH) for the financial support which has made it possible to hold this sensitisation meeting today. We further thank them for many other funding supports that they have given the Coalition to promote education through research and advocacy particularly in higher learning institutions in Zambia.

    With these few remarks, I therefore, urge all of us that are present in this meeting to participate actively as your contributions will make a big difference in enhancing women’s participation in leadership positions.

    Thank you and God Bless you

  • Welcoming remarks to be read by the ZANEC Vice Board Secretary, Mr. Chisanga Mumba during the meeting on the creation of a network for learners with disabilities in universities and colleges to support their rights to education on 13th July 2022 in Livingstone

    Welcoming remarks to be read by the ZANEC Vice Board Secretary, Mr. Chisanga Mumba during the meeting on the creation of a network for learners with disabilities in universities and colleges to support their rights to education on 13th July 2022 in Livingstone

    The Ministry of Education Representative

    Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities Representative

    Management and Lecturers Present

    Student Union Leaders and Students from various Universities and Colleges Present

    Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Present

    Members of the Press

    May I simply say all Protocols observed

    It is an honour and privilege to welcome you all to this meeting.  Your presence is very important to ZANEC as it will go a long way in ensuring that we support the students with disabilities’ right to education in our higher learning institutions, in a coordinated manner.

     

    For those of you who may not be aware, ZANEC is a Coalition of non-state actors working in the Education and Skills Sector. The organisation is involved in research, advocacy and member capacity building on different aspects of the Education and Skills Sector in Zambia. ZANEC members comprise of Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBO’s), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Teacher Trade Unions and Student Unions. The membership of ZANEC currently stands at 89 Member Organisations spread across the country.

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    The objective of this meeting is to facilitate the creation of a network for learners with disabilities in universities and colleges in order to have a coordinated approach in their quest for quality and inclusive education at their institutions of higher learning.

    Furthermore, the expected Outcomes are:

    • To establish a network that would help coordinate discussion of advocacy issues pertaining to students with disabilities.
    • Discuss how best ZANEC can support them in their advocacy work.
    • A communique of recommendations which will be co-signed by major stakeholders.

    It is important to mention that in Zambia, learners with disabilities face several challenges in their quest to access education. Although Zambia boasts of a number of schools that cater for the needs of learners with special needs, the passing of the 2012 Persons with Disability Act was a milestone in the Zambian government’s quest for the provision of inclusive education. However, a study conducted by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services in 2018 on Disability and education highlights several challenges that learners with disabilities are still facing in their pursuit to access quality education, especially higher education. Further, those who are already in higher learning institutions face a number of challenges. This includes difficulties in accessing buildings such as libraries, access to materials for visually impaired students and deaf students and lack of inclusion in certain study programmes. This makes their learning far much more challenging than other students.

    This state of affairs has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the systemic exclusion of students with disabilities from accessing remote learning. This came to light during the third Annual Students and Management Dialogue Forum on remote learning for Students with Disabilities during COVID-19 pandemic facilitated by ZANEC on 22nd September 2021.

     

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    Facts show that although students with disabilities try to lobby their institutional management to look into their plight by forming associations for learners with disabilities, there is no coordination in their advocacy work as they are limited to their institutional spaces. Therefore, it is important that for their voices to carry more weight, there is a need for them to have a common platform where their advocacy work can be coordinated.

    Ladies and gentlemen

    The disabilities Act of 2012 highlights many entitlements for persons with disabilities at higher institutions but most of these are yet to be fulfilled by most institutions of higher learning in Zambia.   Hence, for Zambia to meet the SDG4 targets on eliminating discrimination in education, building and upgrading inclusive and safe schools,  as well as national plans of not leaving anyone behind, it is important that there is a network of students with disabilities that is well-coordinated nationwide so that their right to education is sustained and supported.

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    ZANEC expresses its gratitude to the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (NOREC) for the financial support that has made it possible to hold this meeting- as we work toward attainment of quality education for all.

    With these few remarks, I wish you a fruitful meeting.

    Thank you and God bless you all.

  • Call for Expression of Interests to Upload Approved Learning Materials on the ZANEC Interactive Digital Library

    Call for Expression of Interests to Upload Approved Learning Materials on the ZANEC Interactive Digital Library

    Call for Expression of Interest to Up load Approved Learning Materials on the ZANEC Interactive Information Digital Library