Government has expressed concern that Zambia has continued to rank as one of the lowest in the mathematics and science assessment performance report in Southern Africa.
And Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Felix Phiri has attributed the poor performance of Zambia in the category to lack of interest by teachers to apply strategic and conceptual teaching methodologies in their lesson plans.
Dr. Phiri stated that there is need for teachers in the country to be creative and embrace pedagogy which is the term refers to how teachers and students relate together as well as the instructional approaches implemented in the classroom.
He said this in a speech read for him in Lusaka today, by MoGE Director of Planning Louis Mwansa during the official opening of a two day National Conference on Pedagogy.
He explained that the Ministry has also adopted a framework to support in-services teachers with more knowledge and skills for them to apply conceptual methods in their teaching for improved learner performance as underlined in the national policy document.
Dr Phiri further added that government is interested in seen improved provision and increased access to education for all the citizens in the country.
And United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director for Southern Africa Carolyn Medel-Anonuvo said the quality and effectiveness of any education system depends on teachers.
Ms. Medel-Anonuvo noted that this is because qualified and competent teachers are a single most resource and determinant in meeting education success goals.
She explained that when teachers use their knowledge of both the subject and the way pupils understand the subject, their knowledge of the subject matter has more direct effect on pupils learning environment.
Ms. Medel-Anonuvo has since pledged UNESCO’ continued support to the improved education services delivery in Zambia.
But continued to rank as the highest in beer drinking, its a plus
Wow…
We are not surprised … take a pick at the education budget.
Laughable really…
That is what happens when you have a kakisticracy … a government of the least qualified.
My God a kakistocracy as well as a kleptocracy, a government a government with corrupt leaders, what a combination.
Then you really even dare compare our rankings with nations that put more of their budget into their education system .
Zambian should be serious.
Hahahaha
Nothing wrong with that.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Maths that could be possible. How can you pay $1million for water-tank firetruck?
How can you per for road construction at $1.5 million per kilometer?
How much was toll gate?
PF can’t use scientific calculator.
Just look at the school in the picture. Where is the roof?
We are close to Congo, waist wringling is the first priority, that’s we vote for politicians based on how good they dance to dununa songs.
Political Guru
PhD in political science.
This country needs serious leadership
full of wisdom but no intelligence.
@Nubian, you have to quote, that’s my proverb!!
I will start charging you people.
Let me say this the problem is how these subjects are presented to the kids, Zambian kids today some as young as 5 or even 7 are shop attendants calculating change to give customers mu tuntemba mu komboni na tu ma sido Ku ma yadi, you’ll find the kids are actually good at mathematics and are able to work out change without using a calculator. So where is the problem? We are denying our kids the chance to progress because we lack imagination why can’t maths be taught to the kids in a more practical manner for them to relate to. When teaching equations, or sets use mangos and oranges for example one doesn’t have to use expensive visual tools but rather be innovative and use the tools at hand.
– When Budget for teargas is more than for education, what do you expect?
– $400 million to buy missile-proof private jets but no money to recruit teacher
It’s Garbage in – Garbage out (GIGO).
What to expect in a country that is spending more to buy useless aircrafts than it’s spends to educate its children. Africa is sick!!
“Continues” means that every president that came in from the time the failure started, has failed.
Na Ba teacher ba leakage. What do you expect?
The problem then becomes the product of these exam leakages,
end up our leaders of tomorrow, lacking analytical thinking, moral compass, guided by extreme GREED, as witnessed by President Jona Chakolwa, who would rather squander meagre financial resources on a luxurious Jet, when children learn in shacks that wouldn’t pass as a Pig Sty in a functioning nation.
Jona used to bath from ka basin in in Sichalwes garage in Chawama, but today he wants all the Top luxuries, the shameless greedy excuse for a President.
However Zambians deserve Jona, as they see this behaviour as totally normal.
We need to revisit those ancient curriculums in primary and secondary schools. The background matters, that is why we have the copy & paste lecturers at our universities; doctors and professors who can’t even publish a small booklet on their courses.
The Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Felix Phiri must attribute the poor performance to Examination leaks and corrupt ZEC employees who receive bribes to leak papers.
in their lesson plans.
Fake News?
I was so surprised that “civic education ” is not recognised as a O’ Level subject in South African universities.
Why would the ministry of education introduce a subject that has no help outside Zambia?
Please remove civic education from the syllabus please
Civic Education has improved the civic awaresness of citizens.Many are school leavers who graducated high school and did not even know how a goverment runs, let alone their duties,rights and responsibilities which are cardinal.Hoever this has changed.In America for you to graduate High school,one of the core subjects is Social studies classes that include world history, U.S. history, government, and economics. And if you look at the curriculum of Zambian Civic Education,it incorporates Zambian History(political,Social and Cultural), Governance and indeed Economics.If South Africa does not recognise Civic Education,then they are moving backwards in long strides especially that Civic education helped them alot during Apartheid interms of awaresness of Black rights.
Haha ,funny how we delude ourselves that Zambia will industrialize when its schools are doing so poorly in maths and science.Even our poor technical capacity can only build slum type structures…and it does.
@ Mzambia wa Zamani Its worrying indeed since we are also looking to be middle income country by 2030
No motivation for teachers so no results. But the same teachers when they go abroad bring a 100% pass rate.
How can Zambia be ranked lowest with all those leakages? I thought with leakages Zambia can score very high marks?
Why crack your head when there is leakage.
Too much beer
Causes of poor performance include attitude (psychology) and resources (funding). The concept of STEM is not understood. Learners and teachers operate in darkness. Teachers need teaching methods and learners need motivated. Funding deficits account for overcrowding, lack of teaching and learning materials, field trips, invited lectures. The way forward: reward performing individuals and institutions; innovation instead of despair; avoid short cuts; follow procedures; team player.