Category: Press Statement

Zambia National Education Coalition is delighted to join the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of the Girl Child which falls on 11^th October. This international commemoration reminds us to focus attention on the need to address the challenges that girls are facing in our country as well as to promote girls’ empowerment and fulfilment of their human rights.

The theme for this year is “My Voice, Our Equal Future.” This year’s theme indeed seeks to amplify the voices of our girls so that the public is aware of their rights and the obligation of their respective countries in the progressive realization of their rights.   The future can only be equal and bright for our girls when they are given the opportunity to do so through education. Therefore, every progressive education system must prioritize the education of girls and ensure that none of them is left behind.

To the contrary, ZANEC is saddened that according to the UN 12 million women and girls under 18 years old are married off each year, 130 million girls worldwide are still out of school and approximately 15 million adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years old have experienced forced sex. Further, our own 2018 Education Statistical Bulletin produced by the Ministry of General Education indicates that there are 103, 407 girls that are out of school in Zambia. Additionally, 15, 029 girls got pregnant and only 7495 representing 49% were readmitted back in school in 2018. Therefore, we need more voices and actions targeted at securing girls’ right to education, health and protection.

Worse still, the impact of COVID 19 on education has affected our girls more than the boys. The long school closure removed our girls from the safe environment provided by our schools resulting in most girls getting pregnant, married off or not returning to school at all. Furthermore, the school monitoring conducted by ZANEC after the re-opening of examination classes in 500 schools across the country showed that 3,197 out of 47, 703 girls did not return to school. Majority of these girls did not return to school because they either got pregnant or were married off by their parents or guardians.

It is clear from the statistics above that more needs to be done to keep our girl children in school. Therefore, ZANEC would like to take this opportunity to appeal to our government to work towards combating teenage pregnancies and early marriages. We also appeal to the Ministry of General Education to urgently scale up the implementation of the Re-entry Policy as a way of mitigating the impact of COVID 19 on the education of our girls. This will help in guaranteeing our girls who fell pregnant during the COVID 19 school closure their right to education and ensure that they are accorded the opportunity for an equal future.  

As the old mantra goes, “when you educate a girl you educate the whole nation” therefore let us all ensure that our girls are given the opportunity for accessing quality education in order to secure their future and that of our nation. Finally, we wish all our girls a happy and successful 2020 International Day of the Girl Child.

For/ZANEC 

George Hamusunga

Executive Director

Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is pleased to join our teachers in commemorating World Teacher’s Day which falls on 5^th October. Teachers are very important professionals in the education sector and therefore ZANEC always looks forward to celebrating them. Teachers play a significant role in modelling our learners both academically and socially. It is vital to mention that World Teachers’ Day provides us with an annual occasion that helps us take stock of the contributions of our teachers towards achieving our national and global education targets.

This year’s theme is “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future.” The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the important role that teachers play in the education of our children. Among others, we have proved that removing teachers and replacing them by remote technology is not effective enough to bring about the learning that our children require. This has manifested itself in the low reach of the alternative modes of education designed to provide continuity of learning at home through television, radio and e-learning, hence the recent decision to just reopen schools. Our research showed that only remote learning initiatives that involved physical contact with children were more successful, given the many ICT access challenges among our teachers and pupils. Thus, the issue of teacher leadership in relation to mitigating the COVID 19 crisis response is timely given the contributions teachers have recently made in supporting remote learning and embracing the reopening of schools amidst the COVID 19 pandemic.

Therefore, ZANEC is of the view that our government needs to ensure that teachers are trained in the use of various ICTs to deliver remote learning to mitigate the crisis of limiting education to the physical presence of a teacher. Reshaping the teaching methodologies is crucial in this digital era where learning should also be provided to out of school children. Investment in digital skills and equipment is therefore not an option but a must.  It is also important to note that the pupil – teacher ratio according to the 2018 Education Statistical Bulletin of the Ministry of General Education is 1 to 36.9 at secondary level and 1 to 61.9 at primary school level, which is too high for teaching recommended under the COVID 19 pandemic. This means that our teachers are having so many shifts in order to observe the social distance among the learners in order to ensure the prevention of COVID 19. Therefore, the Coalition is calling upon government to recruit not less than 20,000 more teachers now in order to reduce the huge burden and workload that our teachers are currently carrying as they deliver lessons amidst the COVID 19 pandemic.

Finally, ZANEC would like to wish all teachers in community schools, Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres, primary schools, secondary schools, tertiary institutions and Adult Literacy Instructors a safe, happy and successful commemoration of the 2020 World Teacher’s Day. They are truly our COVID 19 heroes in the education sector.

For/ZANEC

George Hamusunga

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The 81 Member Organizations of the Zambia National Educational Coalition (ZANEC) would like to express their disappointment over the continued neglect of the education sector by government as demonstrated by the Ministers of Finance since 2016 by continuously reducing the budgetary allocation to the education and skills sector. The last four Ministers of Finance have collectively reduced the share of the education budget from 20.2% in 2015 to the recently announced 11.5% for 2021, representing a 46.3% reduction in the last five years. Further, the Coalition observes that the K13.8 billion allocation is lower than last year’s budget when one considers the sharp rise in the inflation rate in last one year.  By neglecting education, the four Ministers of Finance have championed the deteriorating education standards in our education system.  

In light of the COVID 19 pandemic which resulted in the long closure of schools, it was the Coalitions expectation that the budget would plan to address the repercussions of the closure. The failure for the 2021 Education and Skills Sector budget to allocate enough resources to remediate the loss of learning during the COVID 19 period demonstrates the government’s lack of political will to mitigate the looming education quality crisis.

ZANEC further hopes that government will prioritize the disbursement of the ZMW 2.3 billion allocated to social cash transfer to vulnerable households with learners who have difficulties to pay school fees to mitigate the impact of COVID- 19.

The Coalition has observed that the current budget highlights missed the opportunity for transforming our education system which is currently experiencing a quality crisis. As a result, the budget has failed to provide the required financing for the education and skills sector to achieve most of the targets provided for in the 7^th National Development Plan, vision 2030 and the Education and Skills Sector Plan.

For/ZANEC

George Hamusunga

Executive Director

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is looking forward to the presentation of the 2021 National Budget by the Minister of Finance tomorrow Friday 25^th September 2020 with great expectations. We know that a number of challenges will characterize the revenue side of our 2021 National Budget given the uncertainties brought about by the partial economic lockdown driven by the COVID 19 pandemic. Notwithstanding this reality, we remain hopeful that government has focused on ceasing the few opportunities presented by the COVID 19 pandemic to develop a budget that will spur economic growth and investment in Education. These opportunities include the prospects for increased tax collections from companies whose businesses have made huge profits from the sale of COVID 19 essential products and services. Although some companies have experienced significant challenges, those dealing in COVID 19 related products such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants, handwashing soaps, face masks, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and pharmaceutical products have made huge profits. More important also, the copper prices have remained high during the COVID 19 period although production was negatively impacted. The impact of COVID 19 on the economy has also increased the prospects for debt restructuring, swapping or relief, while COVID 19 also presents an opportunity for increased budget support from the private sector, Cooperating Partners and individual philanthropist for COVID 19 prevention and control.

It is against this background that we are hoping that government has ceased these and many other opportunities to ensure that there is increased funding towards the Education and Skills Sector in the 2021 National budget. We have noted through our budget analysis work that in the last five years, the Ministers of Finance have reduced the share of the education budget from 20.2% in 2015 to 12.4% in 2020, representing a 39% reduction. Therefore, our expectations are that the 2021 Education and Skills budget will address the following priorities.

1. Given the positive spillover effects that investments in education have over the rest of the sectors, government will increase the share of the Education and Skills Sector budget to at least 20% of the national budget to mitigate the impact of COVID 19 on education.
2. We expect government to highlight how it will bridge the financing gap caused by COVID 19 and demonstrate commitment towards investing in continuity of learning during the COVID 19 pandemic, with great emphasis on the safety of the learning environments and leaving no one behind.
3. The Coalition also expects to see increased investment in digital technology in order to promote continuity of learning outside the classroom for all children.
4. ZANEC is also hoping that government will announce the introduction of an Education Levy that will be dedicated to generate revenue for investment in the Education and Skills Sector.

Finally, it is common knowledge that investing in education can contribute significantly to economic growth and therefore it deserves to be the main priority of every national budget even under a limited resource envelope.

For/ZANEC

George Hamusunga

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has reviewed both Zambia’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) framework produced in 2013 as well as the teachers’ guides and learners’ booklets for grades 5 to 12 designed to operationalize the CSE framework in Zambia. Findings from the review of our CSE materials indicate that the current content is appropriate for the targeted age-groups and is in line with our national values and the best interest of our children. Among others, the Framework places abstinence at the center of the prevention of teenage pregnancies, STIs and HIV infections among school going children. More important, the curriculum framework pays particular attention to the limits concerning the modes and styles of communicating CSE information in schools. Evidence also shows that the rolling of CSE to schools is always preceded by the training of teachers by trainers approved by the Ministry of General Education through the Curriculum Development Center (CDC). In addition, there is nowhere in the CSE Framework where issues of abortion, transgender or indeed other inappropriate behaviors are encouraged either directly or indirectly.

It is also important to note that the teaching of CSE in Zambia came about because of the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies, STIs and HIV infections especially among girls leading to their dropping out of school. It is for this reason that CSE was designed to empower pupils with knowledge on abstinence, culture, society, hygiene, human development, life skills and values to empower teenagers to be more assertive and careful with their sexuality. There is no evidence whatsoever showing that the introduction of CSE in schools has led to increased sexual activity and pregnancies. To the contrary, official statistics show a reduction in the number of school pregnancies at primary school level from 12,753 pregnancies before the introduction of CSE in 2013 to 11,453 pregnancies by 2018 according to the Education Statistical Bulletins.

Finally, ZANEC’s evidence shows that government through the Ministry of General Education has paid due attention to our local context and values in domesticating the international instruments on CSE. Therefore, the Coalition would like to encourage all education stakeholders and members of the public to take keen interest in reviewing our CSE Framework and raise specific issues that they deem inappropriate to avoid debates that are not based on our existing policies and practices. It is on this basis that we would like to conclude that there is no locally derived empirical evidence in support of the suspension of the rolling out of CSE in schools.

For/ZANEC 

George Hamusunga

Executive Director

The Zambia National Education Coalition [ZANEC] is extremely pleased with the government decision announced by the President of the Republic of Zambia His Excellence Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu in his state of the nation address to reopen all schools and institutions of higher learning in Zambia between 14^th and 28^th September, 2020. We are glad that the President has listened to our call in a timely manner and we are positive that the action taken by government will help in mitigating the impact that the COVID 19 pandemic has had on the education sector. To this effect, we would like to call upon all schools to act swiftly and ensure that they put in place all the COVID 19 public health prevention measures so that they are certified ready in good time.

In light of the urgency with the reopening of schools, we would like to call upon the Ministry of General Education to urgently release funding to all schools to enable them prepare adequately. ZANEC is further calling upon school and college managements to ensure that they give parents a reasonable grace period for paying school fees. This is because COVID 19 did not only effect learners but also affected the source of income for most parents. Therefore, ZANEC would not like to see children failing to report back to school on account of their failure to afford the payment of full school fees. It is also our hope that the Ministry of General Education will produce a robust remediation plan that will ensure that lecturers are able to quickly catch up on the lost time so that no one is left behind.

Finally, we would like to advise the Ministry of General Education to work with stakeholders in sensitizing parents to ensure that they act quickly in sending their children back school. ZANEC would like to reiterate the President’s emphasis that education should remain a priority sector as it has cascading effects on the achievement of all the pillars of the 7^th National Development Plan.

For/ZANEC

George Hamusunga

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is concerned with the media reports concerning the action that the Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ) is planning to take against the 3,000 teachers that are yet to get their practicing licenses. ZANEC is of the view that the proposal to prosecute teachers who are not registered by the Council, is rather too harsh despite being supported by the Teaching Profession Act, No. 5 of 2013. The prosecution of the erring teachers is also ill-timed given the negative impact that COVID 19 has had on the teaching profession. As you are aware, the education sector is among the many sectors that have been severely affected by COVID 19 following the closure of schools on 20^th March, 2020.

First, the closure of schools immensely affected the incomes of most teachers especially in private schools following the policy directive by the Minister of General Education that suspended all school related charges for schools providing continuity of learning during the COVID 19 period. This policy pronouncement in turn reduced the prospects of generating income during the COVID 19 period among most schools thereby leading to most private schools failing to pay teachers’ salaries. As a result, teachers in private schools are facing a lot of economic hardships as most of them have had no income since schools closed. Similarly, a number of teachers in public schools are also currently highly indebted, mainly as a result of having over-borrowed from either the local banks or from the micro- finance lending institutions. Some of these teachers are also experiencing double deductions from both their payroll as well as from their banks on the same loans on account of the remittances that government is yet to make to the lending institutions.

It is on this basis that we would like to kindly appeal to the Teaching Council of Zambia to initiate dialogue with the Teacher Trade Unions so that they can find a more amicable way of ensuring that all teachers regularise their registration in line with the Law. ZANEC recognises the important role that TCZ has been playing in regulating the teaching profession in Zambia and ensuring that only licenced teachers are allowed to practice. We are therefore asking for TCZ to also consider extending the grace period for getting licences to give an opportunity for more teachers to comply with the legal requirement. Otherwise taking away 3,000 teachers from our limited pool of teachers will have a devastating impact on our education system.

For/ZANEC

George Hamusunga

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR