| EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA | | | | records that, “for those that stay in school, the |
| Zambia got independence in 1964, and the country's | | | | number of teachers is consistently shrinking, and in |
| first president, Kenneth Kaunda, led the country as a | | | | rural areas it is easy to find schools with only |
| one-party state until 1991, when a multi-party system | | | | teachers. Children are often hungry, which reduces |
| was introduced. But in reality, Zambia's democracy is | | | | learning and development. The schools have little or |
| still not working very well. Decisions are primarily | | | | no funds for books or other learning materials.” |
| made by the ruling party elite, while parliament and | | | | In line of the above, it has been observed that there |
| district authorities have very little say on matters of | | | | is a need of improving current infrastructure in the |
| planning and budgeting. Theoretically, the citizens | | | | country, if development in the education has to be |
| have been allowed to influence the planning process | | | | revealed to its maximum potential. |
| through a decentralisation reform, which was | | | | |
| launched in 2004, but there is still a great lack of | | | | Another factor that hinders the progress of |
| structures that can effectively give citizens a more | | | | development is HIV/AIDS. This ever-isolating scourge |
| direct influence on the decision-making processes. it | | | | is drawing Zambia back, in many ways. Zambia is |
| has been estimated that 34% of seven years old | | | | suffering from brain drain because most of our |
| children are denied admission to primary school each | | | | education citizens are dying a premature death, which |
| year because of lack of places. More than 600, 000 | | | | is damaging to Zambia. In addition, the breadwinners |
| children between the ages of seven are not in school | | | | of families are being lost and their families left to live |
| and the majority are girls.” | | | | in poverty. According to International HIV/AIDS |
| Education in Zambia has improved a lot since | | | | Alliance (2003:6) writes to say; “some children |
| independence, but a lot more still needs to be done. | | | | may pull out of school altogether because of fear of |
| The growing population from 3,319,538 in 1980 to 10 | | | | getting HIV from their teachers, this is particularly so |
| million people in 2002. It has shown that rapid growth | | | | in rural areas where most children are still be |
| of Zambian citizen has drastically influenced the | | | | misinformed about HIV/AIDS infection.” |
| education sector in Zambia.” The numbers of | | | | |
| school places are now no longer sufficient to take in | | | | Other side of the picture on HIV/AIDS is that, the |
| all the children. It’s a big challenge to orphans to | | | | children are left homelessly without having anyone to |
| orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) to | | | | support them and this tend to disorganize a home in |
| access education from time to time as the sector | | | | the event if the death of a man of the house as the |
| has experienced the disequilibrium. The impact is | | | | women will not be able to take care of the children |
| mainly ignored as its couples itself with economic | | | | without the help of extended family. |
| trends of lack of employment as a source of income | | | | According to Mwansa A,C (2004) as reflected in |
| to sustain the ongoing school children. | | | | free basic education policy implementation policy |
| Kabsy Consultancy Services a leading firm academic | | | | implementation assessment, reports that, “ |
| consultancy firm in Africa has embarked on a | | | | enrolments increased marginally after the introduction |
| programme of helping more African educanalists to | | | | of free basic education policy. On the other hand the, |
| realise their full potential. A project was launched in | | | | applications declined in 2003 especially in rural areas. It |
| Kabwe, Zambia early October 2009. Kabsy | | | | would seem that the causal factor was not only |
| Consultancy services is empowering Zambian | | | | major barrier to access. Though the guidelines from |
| companies with development, social work skills and | | | | the ministry of education did not impose any limit on |
| infotech fundamentals. The main aim is in promoting | | | | enrolments, one third of the applicant were turned |
| education policy in Zambia and meeting vision 2030. | | | | away , suggesting that are other considerations are |
| It’s in this line that the government the republic | | | | equally important in determine access to education. |
| of Zambia, in 2002 introduced free basic education | | | | The rate of girls turned away was slightly higher than |
| from grade one to grade seven, so as to allow | | | | that of boys. One of the reasons why a third of the |
| number of orphans and vulnerable children to access | | | | applicant re turned away from school is the |
| education. Other policy key principles were in | | | | inadequacy of school infrastructure.” |
| decentralization of the education system, building of | | | | |
| more schools, and deployment of more teachers | | | | In view of the analysis presented above, I therefore |
| who were waiting to be sent in various schools. | | | | recommend that, if free basic education policy has to |
| Improvement of teacher’s allowances, especially | | | | be effectively implemented there is a need of the |
| housing allowances to teachers working in rural areas | | | | government to build more infrastructure facilities such |
| setting. | | | | s schools, universities, more education colleges. There |
| Having implemented the free basic education | | | | is also a need of improving teacher’s conditions |
| policy from 2002, what has been the impact on the | | | | in terms of housing allowances and salaries, if more |
| target group? Studies on the implementation of social | | | | graduates have to join the teaching profession. |
| policy and its impact on the target group have been | | | | In the context of poverty and education, the |
| done. The reports show that the education system | | | | government needs to build more state companies |
| of Zambia has denied access to the orphans and | | | | rather than bringing selfish investors, who aim only in |
| vulnerable children despite introduction free primary | | | | making profit and taking t into their respective |
| education. “The OVC’s’ are still deniable | | | | countries. Companies for Zambian will have a heart |
| admission in primary school and this forces them to | | | | for people and hence people will move from being |
| find themselves in community schools. To those that | | | | exploited to more empowered with economical |
| have attended school in available public learning | | | | resources that will fight poverty, HIV/AIDS and |
| institutions, quality of services being provided still | | | | unemployment. |
| remains very poor. About one third of Zambia’s | | | | |
| primary does not go to school. They stay away | | | | Conclusion. |
| because school is expensive, or stay away or | | | | Social Policy is a system of interrelated principles that |
| because they have to work. For those that attend, | | | | are formulated in line with the problem at hand, its |
| they drop out rates offering girls in particular after | | | | aim is in seeing to it that people lives are improved |
| grade 4. | | | | and people re in a state of social and economical |
| In most rural areas, parent of female children see | | | | dependence. One of such areas is education policies, |
| their daughters as their source of riches. They would | | | | which re formulated in meeting the needs of people |
| rather sell their children, in the name of marriage at | | | | in accessing education for all. However, Zambian |
| an early age in order to lay their hands in the bride | | | | education policy has to be clearly articulated and fine |
| price. They do not realize the importance of | | | | tuned so as to realistically meet the needs of the |
| educating the girl child which is very saddening. There | | | | Zambian people. They must take cognizance of the |
| has got to be more awareness made in the rural | | | | paucity of national resources, be complotted by |
| areas. " | | | | professionals such as social workers, and incorporates |
| | | | | inputs from grassroots movements. |
| Civil Society for Poverty Reduction, CSPR (2000: 10) | | | | |