Traditional leaders in Luapula province have appealed to the government to consider waiving tuition fees for the girls in public learning institutions from primary to tertiary level.
Luapula Chiefs Council Secretary chief Chisunka made the call following an observation that tuition fees for both male and female learners in public institutions are part of the factors that hinder further education of girls.
“When you check fees in primary, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions, you will find that girls pay the same for education as what the male child pays. For instance, if it is K1, 000 to pay both males and females will pay the same fee. This is frustrating the same initiatives meant to ease the educational interest of girls,” he observed.
Chief Chisunka has since lobbied parliamentarians to enact laws that will reduce the burden of paying school fees for the girls as a means of fighting child marriage.
“We want a girl child starting from grade one to college or university level not to be paying tuition fees so that we can see where we will reach as a country in this fight,” he said.
He said traditional leaders are making efforts to retrieve girls from marriages but this initiative is annulled when parents fail to pay school fees.
“School requires money and often times money is not found either by the chief or the girl child’s parents. But when we write letters to civil society organizations and other authorities to sponsor the girls we have taken away from marriages, the response they give us is that they also don’t have funds,” he said.
Chief Chisunka and chief Kalasa Lukangaba of the Ushi people in Mansa district were speaking during the Plan International Zambia’s “strengthening civil society to end child marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa” project launch of in Luapula Province.
And chief Kalasa Lukangaba wondered why the fight against early marriages has not yielded much results even after many years of such efforts.
“Luapula is still ranked second highest in numbers of early child marriage in the country, and from the time we started this fight nothing has changed. We appeal to relevant authorities to consider revising policies concerning the girl child,” he said.
He said the effort being put in by traditional leaders to fight early child marriages should be proportionate to efforts of those in charge of enacting laws.
Meanwhile, Luapula Province Minister Nickson Chilangwa said government still believes in the potential of a girl child hence it will continue to further their education.
“So for us as government, any programme aimed at fostering the wellbeing of a girl child be it at the home level, village level, school level or church level, we stand firm in support and we shall not relent,” he said.
Mr. Chilangwa stated that for the recent past years, government has demonstrated its position on the matter by being an advocate of strengthening laws against girl child abuse.
“This is because the girl child is always disadvantaged especially in the village setting, where if there is only enough money to send one child to school, more often than not we hear that let the girl remain at home while the boy is sent to school,” he said.
Mr. Chilangwa explained that the initiatives to safeguard the welfare of the girl child must not be misinterpreted as one aimed at encouraging females to be lazy.
He said there should be a balance of opportunities given to both boys and girls even as the latter utilise chances given to them.
“As you know President Edgar Lungu is the African champion for a girl child and this is what he is advocating for that there should be a balance between the girl and boy child. So, we must follow in the footsteps of our leader,” he stated.
Excellent observation. I support your call but perhaps girls should pay a third in tertiary institutions and half at universities.
tertiary = colleges
As a father to a beautiful daughter I can see why the chiefs feel this is a good way forward. However, we have to be careful to not discriminate against males in the process of trying to correct an issue. We will work with our policy teams to study how this can be done in an equitable manner across genders. Twalumba
Good observation KZ. The push for girl child without taking care of the boy child can have devastating effect. A balance is required to avoid blanket policies that may help. What about the issue of increasing access of girl children to good schools? Is is not more important than free education to bad school? So we need to get to the bottom of causes.
The president kneeling to a chief? This is why one Zambia, one nation will never work. Chiefs have to be subordinate to the president. Granted, Zambian tradition requires that we kneel before elders, I hope this was the motivation behind this gesture. That being said, Mr. Lungu should be investigated for bribing and manipulating these so called traditional leaders.
Good observation KZ. The push for girl child without taking care of the boy child can have devastating effect. A balance is required to avoid blanket policies that may not help. What about the issue of increasing access of girl children to good schools? Is this not more important than free education to bad school? So we need to get to the bottom of causes.
Good observation but who pays the schools for the loss in revenue especially when govt is failing lamentably to fund these schools!!
GREAT TIME TO LOBBY FOR WAIVER OF TUITION FEES FOR GIRLS WITH THE ELECTION COMIMG UP
ESPECIALLY IN THE RURUL AREAS WHERE THE QUALITY OF TEACHING IS VERY POOR
PERHAPS A TV LEVY… PERHAPS PROUD TO BE ZAMBIAN LEVY…. ????
THIS MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE ?????
LETS PRAY FOR MANNER FROM HEAVEN
KZ you only possess a birth certificate academic certificate zero. You should be the last person to talk about education. Prepare to leave Zambia after August 12
The only answer is an accountable prudent GRZ ,
Not one that is up to its neck in corruption and greed. Every one in PF joins to enrich them selves at the expense of the country at large……
How do you justify luxury SUVs, free fuel, free phone calls free rent to most GRZ officials when children can not afford to go to school ????
Computer scientist I must have annoyed you in the past. Please remind me who you are. Are you mulenga whose girlfriend was after me? If it is you then you need to move on and sort your issues with your girlfriend if she has not even left you yet.
KZ how many students have you sponsored before
The answer is a clean GRZ…..
Every one in PF joins to enrich them selves at the expense of the country at large……
How do you justify luxury SUVs, free fuel, free phone calls free rent to most GRZ officials when children can not afford to go to school ????
Computer Scientist
 March 7, 2021 At 5:34 pm
“.KZ how many students have you sponsored before….”
He abuses them , not sponsors …….
KIKIKI GREAT NEWS FOR THE kz HE FINALLY GOT 3 THUMBS UP
ARE WE GOING SOFT
DEMAND? They did not demand, they made a request, please!!! Do not misrepresent people.
I don’t sponsor students, my many businesses employ thousands of people. Be grateful
KZ are you going to live in the diaspora when your party loses the elections this year
The headline is misleading. What power do chiefs hv to make a demand? It’s surely a request and they are not the same thing.
my many businesses employ thousands of people. Be grateful ???
PLEASE AND RSPECTFULLY NAME JUST A FEW COMPANIES ????
IVE ASKED PEOPLE UP THERE AND HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS EMAILS SAYING KIKIKIKI
SO WHAT IS THE TRUTH
What is free for girls should be free for boys also.