In concerted efforts the Ministry of General Education and Higher Education in partnership with various aligned Ministries, Agencies and Institutions; held the second National Education Conference and Exhibition that took place on the 15th of January to 17th January 2019, aimed at re-engineering the education system to one that meets the demand of the industry and elevating the status of the people an economy of Zambia as the challenge of the Zambian Education System lack of relevance and Quality will strongly highlighted.
In a speech to the press on the 14th January 2019, Minister Higher Education, Prof. Nkandu Luo said the education conference is aimed at identifying various financing models and is in effort to engage the academic, professional, educational experts and industry with a view to improving the education system in the country. She added that the re-engineering of the system and changing the status quo should be a mass movement.
“It is time to interrogate why we are not achieving, what we desire in land blessed with abundant resources?” She said.
Prof. Nkandu added that the event was timely considering the infrastructure development set forth by the current government. It was in response to the appeal that the system of selecting top GCE students in science, medical and engineering programs while average scoring students are pooled in to educational programs needed to be scrutinized. She emphasized that it is time to incorporate a culture where a teacher is who pioneer in the educating of the future leaders are to be scrutinized and trained extensively to groom productive career men and women.
Minister of General Education David Mabumba in his speech at the official opening of the conference themed ’Improving the quality of Zambia’s education, the education we want,’ revealed that despite the achievement through the increase of the number of enrolled children, increased trained teachers, improvement of the infrastructure and schools built, the challenge still poses a great burden of unproductive unemployed members of the public.
Within the 3 days, delegates were tasked to discuss and come up with solutions that would chart a clear road map to the reforms needed for the transformation of the Zambian Education system. Thematic areas were; Quality of Zambian Education System, Education financing and Education a Social Economic Development.
In the concluding reports presented by representatives of breakaway groups that discussed the thematic areas, various suggestions were brought out as follows;
Quality Zambia Education System
Prof. Munalula Nkandu elaborated the discussions that took place around the topic and outlined the following solutions;
- Creating thriving, suitable learner environment
- Leadership and management
- Teacher/Lecturer
- Appropriate assessment(Practical approaches)
- Effective involvement by parents and communities
- Resource and policy harmonization
- Re-aligning institution to specific industries
- Enhance safety and stiffen laws for sexual offenders or abusers in the system
- Performance indicators for learning institutions.
It was however, reemphasized by both the Higher Education Minister and General Education Ministers that what was demanded was practical simple ways of which the government would implement the reforms.
Education Financing
Prof. Lungwagwa contextualized the discussion as education financing for quality education for all through wealth creation, industrialization and employment generation. This is tied to the underlying ideology of ‘Education is a shared responsibility.
He detailed that the financing model was coined on multi-sectorial partnering educational financing model. The following were highlighted in the presentation;
- Market model/Tax model/partnership model
- Mind-set drift to parental investment
- Partnership with churches to contribute directly
- Channel or split constituency development funding to the Ministry of Education
- All training and Ministry Provincial and Spending Agencies to be allocated to the Ministry of Education
- All research funds to be allocated to a research foundation
- Encouraging local philanthropies and promotion of endowment funds and business ventures
- Income generating activities and matching grants to promote competitiveness
- Education levy to be imposed on on Hospitality industry(Kenya as an example), soda drinks and alcohol
- Cost sharing by government, parents and private sector
- Introduction of a law to compel private companies on corporate social responsibility
- ICT providers to provide to every learner with an Ipad
- Having school feeding programs
Education A Social Economic Development
Ms. Nelly Nyirenda in her brief presentation highlighted the need to focus on human Capital development and the following;
- Poverty reduction, job creation and Decent work
- Innovation and knowledge technologies.
- Reinforcement of teaching in local languages to carter for different level s of knowledge intake
- Education that catapults graduates into wealth creation
- Grading the status of the teaching profession
- Diversification of teaching methods (shift from teacher centred to learner centred)
- Education institutions to be entrepreneurial in teaching approach
- Curriculum to be responsive to the industry needs
- Education that encourages sharing
Within closing remarks, Higher Education Authority (HEA) Director General, Prof. Stephen stated that the HEA’s role after the resolutions of the Zambia National Education Conference was clear as issues of quality rest on the institution.
It was on conclusion that a group would be formed to synthesis all the points that came out from the breakaway groups and panel discussions. The group is tasked to go into details of the road map to pave way for implementation so as to administer necessary policies and legislation developments. Going forward, the anticipation and expectation was that the Zambian education system would have a new face and will be well funded.