Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu yesterday informed students from the Zambia Open University that President Lungu is encouraging universities and colleges in Zambia to provide training that promote acquisition of essential skills among students necessary to contribute to the development of communities and the nation as a whole.
Speaking when he met visiting student leaders from the Zambian Open University at his office in Chipata on Thursday, 17th January, 2019, Mr. Zulu said the PF administration wants to address an imbalance and absence of skills in districts as part of the agenda to developing Zambia.
Mr. Zulu commended the student leaders for taking an initiative to meet with the provincial administration and said such a meeting was the first of its kind which must be encouraged.
“As students, you must aspire to acquire survival skills that enable you to become employers as opposed to becoming mere employees. If we are to develop our districts, provinces and the nation, we must adopt the global trend which require citizens to see themselves as major drivers in employment creation rather than job-seeking”, said Minister Zulu.
Mr. Zulu encouraged students to acquire entrepreneurial skills and continue to live their dream of changing the world rather than give up when they meet hurdles along the way.
Earlier, Zambian Open University Student Union President, Sam Mazaka, said government and students must create a partnership that seek to mutually address challenges the nation is facing if Zambia is to achieve its goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2030.
Mr. Mazaka said it was regrettable that students and authorities have always had a cat-and-mice relationship as opposed to becoming resourceful in developing the nation.
Mr. Mazaka who has called on government to prioritise funding for higher education has since urged President Lungu and his administration to increase funding for student loans and scholarships so as to enable citizens to achieve their dreams through acquisition of higher education.
He said ZAOU and its student leadership remains a role model of the kind of relationship that authorities must develop in the provision of higher education and addressing the needs of students and institutions.
The student leaders from ZAOU are in Eastern Province on a tour to meet students from ZAOU who have held career talks with Grade 12 pupils from Chizongwe Technical, Hillside, Anoya Zulu, and Chipata Day Secondary Schools.
WHAT IS ZAOU is it a university ? or club ? can a degree from that kindergatten be recogniszed at HAVARD? STOP THE NONSENSE OF ASKING FOR FREE EDUCATION THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS WE NEED EXCELLENT STUDENTS TO GET KA LITTLE SCHOLARSHIP NOT JUST GETTING TUMA 20POINTS ATI U NEED A SCHOLARSHIP ATASE BANE KABIYENI UKO MWEMashilu
@ANYOKO, why are you so angry? Chill and enjoy the diaspora or have nshima with kalembula. Greetings from another Dingbat diasporian.
Let’s face facts. ZAOU students and management are constructive and appears Whatever this Union touches, it has public attention. That is real leadership.
Are these so called ministers capable of giving a speech without referencing you know who? What happened to great minds?? Is their thinking capacity so limited that they cannot think?? Zambia seems to be the only country that does not have ministers who have independent thoughts and capable of expressing such unless they reference their boss, shameful
Zambian Open University makes lots of sense. I just like their attitude and approach towards education and national matters. Wish I was enrolled up there. God bless you.
Zaou makes real difference indeed coz they are mature people running unions. We so proud with your initiative and students must always seek to engage with govt to address matters affecting them than always run to demonstrate. When are u coming to Mong?
Thank you for the compliment
Hopefully the zaou blues over incomplete, and not complete results are over plus management not listening to student cries. yes 4 first time, u as union re doing something to market zaou but u dealing with old folks that ain’t innovative to make zaou bigger. just look at new universities compared to zaou that ve all facilities, less problems than zaou and truly cares about student. zaou managers don’t, ain’t proud when I look back to zaou, how us as students were merely a means to making their pockets hefty while offering half backed services to us. hope u some unionists do engage in frank talk with these old folks to stand with students
Govt should not run away from responsibility to provide employment. Unemployment is Zambia’s time bomb. Pf ought to deal with it.
Skills development must be coupled with political will from govt to do it’s part. The least govt can do is to create an enabling environment for job creation. Reduce taxes that don’t support entrepreneur tactics. ZAOU must continue doing good publicity job. U students ve put ZAOU on national map
Makebi is a sharp and intelligent man.
From time i enrolled at Zaou I got stories how our union fights for us students, these folks have changed lots of things and stood for students. I don’t regret being at ZAOU
Thank you chichi
Yeh govt really has work to do to helping students nd thanls ZAOU leaders
Our students Union has real vision and has stood for us in times of distress, they have spoken for us boldly but am liking way they now engage with govt also. That’s way to go. U ve supported us with students loans but please increase it and ask management to also support us.
Noted, Mr Mathews , consider it done
Thank you people for the compliments, as zaousu will ensure that our students are fully represented. And we will provide true leadership to our members
I enjoyed your inspiration talk at Chizongwe, look forward to studying at ZAOU.