Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has announced a raft of measures aimed at boosting the education sector in Zambia in the 2022 national budget.
The budget themed ‘Growth, Jobs and Taking Development Closer to the People,’ has proposals that if implemented, will transform the Zambian education sector forever with an allocation of K18.1 billion, translating into 10.4% of the total budget.
In his address, Dr Musokotwane said the New Dawn Administration believes that education is the greatest equalizer that sound education requires teachers.
He regretted that unfortunately, most of the Zambians schools, especially those in rural areas, do not have enough teachers.
“It is not uncommon to find only two or three teachers at schools with grades one to seven or even grades one to nine. Madam, despite this limited number of teachers in some schools, there are at least 55,000 young trained teachers who have not been employed. Some have been waiting for six years or more post training to be hired. The New Dawn Administration has found money to recruit teachers and it will always prioritise education,” Dr Musokotwane revealed.
He announced that for the first time in the history of Zambia, government will recruit 30,000 teachers in 2022.
Dr Musokotwane said the number is more than what was hired in the past ten years put together.
“The recruitment will help reduce the backlog of unemployed teachers. Over the next five years, the Government will continue to hire more teachers in net terms and the plan is to be current by 2026. These recruitments are aimed at improving the quality of education by reducing the pupil-teacher ratios. The teachers will be deployed equitably to serve in all districts,” he stated.
The Finance Minister said, to further improve the quality of education through the provision of teaching and learning materials, grants to primary schools will be increased three-fold in 2022.
Dr Musokotwane also announced that Government will construct an additional 120 secondary schools to increase access to education.
“The financing for this initiative will be through a concessional loan I recently signed with the World Bank under the Zambia Education Enhancement Project. This loan is payable over 30 years,” he stated.
He also announced that Tuition, Parent Teachers Association and examination fees that learners pay in public schools will be abolished.
“The United Party for National Development has always advocated for free education for the child whose family is unable to pay. It is such support during the UNIP era that enabled many of us to be where we are today. We shall always be committed to this ideal. As such, the 2022 Budget envisages concrete steps towards this goal. Government already provides free educational services for learners at primary school level. At secondary school level, however, learners currently pay. Typically, they pay K600 per annum per child for tuition when not in boarding. If in boarding, they pay a total of K3,600 inclusive of K600 tuition fee. In addition, Parent Teachers Association fees and examination fees are paid. Tuition, Parent Teachers Association and examination fees that learners pay in public schools will be abolished.”
He added, “For the avoidance of doubt, the fees charged at public early childhood and secondary schools for a child to be allowed to attend class are done away with. To this end, grants from the Government to public schools will be increased to meet the operational costs that were previously financed by the fees.”
“Regarding boarding fees for secondary school learners, a bursary scheme will be introduced for vulnerable learners. The beneficiaries for bursaries will not be chosen from Lusaka or provincial headquarters and not even at the district level. Rather, it will be determined at the community level in the constituencies, possibly at ward level. The provision of the budget for the bursaries will be through the Constituency Development Fund,” Dr Musokotwane said.
“I am sure you will agree with me that in a situation where the most deserving children must be identified, the community itself provides the best possibility for making a determination because such children are known within their locality. The exact modalities are being worked out ahead of the opening of schools in 2022.”
He said to ensure that the girl child has equitable opportunities to quality education as a boy child, Government will address challenges that the girl child faces such as walking long distances to school, early marriages, menstrual hygiene and unwanted pregnancies.
“In this regard, we will expand the support to the girl child through the Keeping Girls in School Programme from the current 28,964 in 2021 to 43,520 girls in 2022.
Upnd should have thanked PF and ECL for massive infrastructure the country has experienced in terms of schools.
Teachers will only be recruited because PF has built primary, secondary and universities. Viva PF.
One of the problems Government faces in the recruitment of teachers and health personnel is that our people don’t want to work in rural areas. Last a child of one of my friend was posted to Nseluka near Kasama. The father worked hard to have his child deployed in Kitwe. Those thirty thousand teachers cannot all work at Mukuba Secondary School… people must accept to work even in the remotest parts of the country. After all if we don’t go to these areas who do we expect to go there? The Chinese? Otherwise if the goverment fails to put its foot on the ground this projected number will always remain projected.
Henry – Are you blind how can you thank someone for leaving you in debt…most of that infrastructure was grossly overpriced look at KKIA an airport that should never have cost that much its inflated by almost $150 million, Roads that were costing $1 million per kilometre not even in Europe does a road cost that much and they include lighting and underground drainage. Thank them for what? Its no surprise that the likes of Faith Musonda can keep that amount of money hidden in their houses because we have a reckless, irresponsible PF govt. PF came with a big banner stating that they were a pro-poor govt and they never came close to such a budget that is even similar to the UK budget. The biggest setback to this budget will be corrupt rotten PF controlling officers still in govt who…
in govt who perpetuated looting now will be tasked to oversee a massive increase in CDF….thank PF you say?
Wake up!!
Deja Vu – The only way round that issue is giving them an added incentive to work in rural areas but even that is not enough when there is no accommodation at the basic school you are posted to. Doctors face the same problem lack of suitable facilities. Another way of solving this problem is having and improving Teacher’s training colleges in every province and only accepting applications from only students from secondary schools from within that province. Most of my boarding school mates who took up careers in teaching have remained in that province and heading up basic schools in areas I have never heard of.
For the sack of innovation this govt should have also removed the internet phone call tax…this has not helped at all I remember how it was easy to do business on WhatsApp call with people in Zambia. This tax was only imposed with the backing of the networks to as people continue using their poor substandard inflated services instead of they themselves innovating.
@Henry, Was it PF money that built the schools?
Deja Vu, those who don’t want to go to rural schools and teach can languish in beer halls all day if they want to. Serious ones will work and earn money.
This is massive and a way of saying thank you to the youth who brought change. But away from politics, this lifts up burden of looking after grownups in homes. Ba UPND live long!
#5 Tarino Orange…. All places we live in were once bushes but pioneers went to these places and developed them. Call me old fashioned, I spent sometime in the village…our teachers lived in grass thatched houses, after sometime they got transferred to town and replaced by another batch.
This budget is very coherent, and should be read in full, if you just pick out one item in isolation, you will have a reason to be NEGATIVE as usual.
The theme that strongly supports the idea of recruiting of teachers and health personnel in rural areas, is decentralization. In the past young teachers and health personnel were not interested in working in rural areas due to deplorable condition. But if GRZ can work hard on ensuring simple amenities like shopping centre, housing, water and electricity, etc that should support 90% to stay. And that in itself will be considered successful. Anyway, those who will refuse, then that is their own business, they will remain unemployed, also will have to take up other opportunities like entrepreneurship, farming, etc. THIS BUDGET IS CREATING…
This budget is very coherent, and should be read in full, if you just pick out one item in isolation, you will have a reason to be NE.GATIV.E as usual.
The theme that strongly supports the idea of recruiting of teachers and health personnel in rural areas, is decentralization. In the past young teachers and health personnel were not interested in working in rural areas due to depl.orable condition. But if GRZ can ensure simple amenities like shopping centre, housing, water and electricity, etc that should support this goal. Anyway, those who will refuse, they will remain unemployed or will have to take up other opportunities like entrepreneurship, farming, etc. THIS BUDGET IS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, let’s be positive and stop this whining culture.
LT at it again with useless moderations….
Is this the Messiah people have been waiting for? Why did it take so long for him to appear on the scene? Anyway, God’s time is the best…
Upnd cadre from Ngombe compound lsk @7 That is a very stup1d & fool1sh question to ask. You know the answer to the question. No political party funds government projects when they are in power. The money did not come from PF and you know that. And ask such kind or useless question. Take your foolishness somewhere else. Monies always come from either taxes or loans.
Henry@1 is saying PF did their part to build health centres. So now UPND can continue by employing nurses, which is a good thing they have done. Just as well UPND have borrowed money to cover free education.
Deja Vu – Its easy for you to say that everyone should be a pioneer but a 23 year old single lady who has just been awarded a Teaching certificate wants to be posted in a town with some facilities available not in a thatched hut with no electricity. When we were at boarding school we had Ghanan science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) tutors these guys were sent via Japanese International Corporation Association (JICA) and didnt bother to live in one rooms because they were handsomely paid by the Japanese. I have great respect for Japanese they know what how to provide technical assistance.
Henry – Go to PF secretariat and thank them for Lumumba Road in Lusaka whilst you are there ask them how much that small stretch of road cost your children and that is just the tip of the iceberg before I mention Lusaka – Ndola motorway.
Whoever this f00I tarino is, is very irritating. You don’t have to write 100 comments to put your useless points across. No one is even reacting to your posts. Get a life or a real job.
Anyway back to serious things that matter:
Hh went on international media and lied that he inherited empty coffers. Today he is able to spend huge amounts on the budget. It seems hh is a natural born liar. The budget lacks fiscal discipline and is meant to please voters due to the unrealistic lies and promises hh made to win elections. This is not sustainable. Eventually someone will have to cover the cost of this socialist budget. As a high earning tax payer this is disgusting
There is the indictment of the previous government and perhaps others too: the model to repurpose CDF. The figure quoted translates to quite a transfer of authority from the center. We have had blusters of decentralization but this is the first time we are beginning to see its actualization. It will be a hard sell now for Nakachinda and his mob. The bar is raised yet again. Just on this one among others like the switching back on of free education in government schools. Chokako tisewenze…
Lusaka times used to allow bloggers to insult ECL. So why are they now moderating those that speak out against hh? It is my right to call hh a cheecolour if I want. Infact mukungu wa hh. Moonyellow yake
Kalok – Exactly all we have been having in the past are speeches and seminars in Siavonga about decentralisation. The only problem will be implementation as you can not have the same controlling officers who were stealing to then turn around and start managing funds prudently …Secretary to the Cabinet has to look into this or better just employ UNZA and CBU graduates in the streets to do the job.
@1-Henry: Don’t be a typical blinded Zambian. Unless you were part of the stealing. Yes Infrastructure that we are not proud of. Poor Quality Roads, at Wrong Price and not even delivered yet they contractor has been paid in Full. There was no Accountability in PF government. We thank God and other Youth for this relief. Damn those people were Evil. They should apologize to Zambians.
Sounds good but if we have to be
current by 2026 there could be need to put a tighter lid on teachers’ colleges. A lot have mushroomed more for money and quantity than quality. There’s actually a whole need for serious restructuring of the education system
Excellent budget; especially on free education, and the extremely important added care for the girl child – I am ecstatic. Well done sir! Every Zambian child deserves a sound grounding in education. And we need girls staying in education – not out in compounds, having to bring up other children! Wonderful!
Where is Sean tembo and nakachinda ????
Can we have some coment from them pleas………
One year from now that’s when we will be able to judge the UPND government well. At the moment things are just on paper. Let’s wait for implementation
I would have loved to see more on the sources of money than on expenditure. Anyone can expend but very few can generate.
Where are we going to be getting this money to finance all the free things? Here in Malawi the new government rushed to give people what they promised without recouse to the source; we are languishing in burdens of high cost of living. I will truly appreciate an increased income after a spending spree in the last regime.
Yes indeed – @Fellow citizens. But in my book, every little good deserves praise. Of course, we all expect pledges on paper to be reality soon. We’ve got to be optimistic!
Am disappointed to see certain Zambians like @Henry would still think anyone owes a vote of thanks to PF for anything. Criminals is sacrificed the lives of there own people for personal gains only by providing expired drugs to the masses only deserve death by hanging. People can escape human justice but will never escape the punishment of God.
The support to the education sector looks fantastic. But an allocation of 10.4% is still not enough to meet the existing challenges. Think of the so many primary schools that were upgraded into secondary schools by the PF without a corresponding increase in infrastructure. Before building 200 new secondary schools, first ensure that the infrastructure for our learners and teachers alike in existing schools is adequate. In addition, ensure that teachers who have upgraded their qualifications are reassessed and given their due grades and rightful salaries. Otherwise, we will still be leaving behind old problems unresolved as we build new schools. This is an assessment based on field research about the situation on the ground in most schools in Zambia. Zambia needs more science and math…
Too true
… teachers. No wonder STEM schools struggled. But there is no mention about recruiting or encouraging the training of more math and science teachers in Musokotwane’s budget. Schools should also be encouraged to be more self-sustaining by strengthening production units, encouraging them to have strategic plans and putting headteachers on performance based contracts and ensuring those who do not run self-sustaining schools do not have their contracts renewed. Grant-aided schools, particularly Catholic ones, are more self-sustaining. As schools teach agriculture science, commerce and technical drawing etc., they should ensure the knowledge pupils acquire is applied towards production unit in order for schools to be more self-sustaining.
PF is a criminal and Gangster organisation that will never bounce back to power because of their corrupt, thieving and violent nature. If Zambians wanted your stupid Infrastructure development they would have shown appreciation by voting for your backsides but they didn’t. Zambians wanted and still want food not the poverty, oppression and suppression that you PF morons created.
We have been posting about the huge PF bill for payments to their thugs and bribes to youth, marketeers and others………
Now this bill is no more and people are wondering where the money in this progressive budget is coming from ????
Zambia is a country of very educated people, however, maths seems to be a weak subject. As much as we cheer on the budget, but one needs to ask where the money will come from. Only 50 per cent will come from revenue, will the other 50 come from borrowing and aid??? I rolled my eyes when I saw the number of teachers and health workers to be employed. Is this evidence based? Is this the number of trainees? Sweetness is in the taste on the pudding. I rest my case ?
It’s really a good budget let’s all learn to give credit where is due.