Minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo, says the government will not allow over enrolment of students in nursing learning institutions across the country.
Ms. Masebo has observed that over enrolment in nursing schools if not well managed, may have serious short, medium and long term effects on service delivery in the country.
Speaking when she toured Kabwe College of Nursing and Midwifery, Ms. Masebo said the unprecedented overcrowding in classes at training institutions in the country is a threat to the very essence of service delivery in the health sector.
“Most nursing schools are over-enrolling; this may have an effect on teaching and learning. It is a well-known fact that lecturers are failing to cope with students’ increasing numbers and this has an impact on the general nursing education in Zambia,” Ms. Masebo noted.
Ms. Masebo said the exam pass rate at Kabwe College of Nursing and Midwifery has dropped from 100 percent to 62 percent due to over enrolment.
She noted that the over-enrolment in nursing schools is making the tutor- student ratios in classes much more unhealthy, creating uncharacteristic environments for teaching and learning.
“Supervision of students in the clinical section is not effectively done, even issues of the practical are not effectively done because of over enrolment, ” she noted.
The minister observed that most facilities were more interested in getting money from students and parents while forgetting about planning on how to expand their spaces of learning.
“Out of economic desires to grow, most facilities have overburdened themselves by chewing what they can’t swallow, hence the overcrowding we are seeing today that has affected quality service delivery,” she said.
She expressed the concern after realizing that Kabwe Central Hospital Nursing School which initially planned to enroll 70 students last January had enrolled over 130 students.
Ms. Masebo has since directed the Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Health and the department of nursing to go round and check on the over enrolment in both private and government health schools of learning.
Meanwhile, Kabwe Central Hospital, Senior Medical Superintendent, Victor Kusweje, has reiterated the need for decongestion of nursing learning institutions if quality education is to be provided.
Dr. Kusweji stated that most of the challenges being faced by learning institutions were as a result of over enrolment.
“Currently the main issues that the school has are the high number of students that would relate to the teaching aspect as well as how they are being kept at the institution,” Dr Kusweje said.
Dr. Kusweji said the high numbers raise questions about the effectiveness of teaching to the students and that is what the school was trying to resolve.
And speaking earlier, Kabwe College of Nursing and Midwifery Principal Tutor, Alice Banda, said the institution has turned the dining hall into a lecture room as a way of mitigating the shortage of the learner space.
Ms. Banda said the institution is currently saving some money to build a classroom that would accommodate about 200 learners.
“For this we are lobbying through the ministry of health for financial and material support to help us build a 200 capacity learners classroom to mitigate space shortage,” she said.
Evidence that the jobs they promised you was all talk and usual lies
Sylvia Masebo must look at the bigger picture. 460,000 learners passed through grade 7 to 8, only 120,000 will make it to senior secondary school. Out of 120,000 only 20,000 are likely to find places at tertiary level as that’s the combined capacity of all institutions at 1st year. So around 100,000 will still have to force their into college or university. Mujajati found CBU School of Medicine over-enrolled and he closed it. It’s not only nursing schools that are affected. Almost all colleges and universities are enrolled beyond their capacity, this includes private institutions as well. Students pay as much as K4,000 to managers just to get a place. Sneaking into hospitals at night to humiliate health workers won’t solve this problem. Let’s find sustainable solutions
1. This is the job of the higher education regulator and not the minister of Health.
2. The job of the government is to expand capacity.
Other offshoots of this crisis are that lecturers, deans, HoDs, managers and other characters have now become slaughterers of desperate young women. They slaughter for admission and for marks. As women, Masebo, Witna Kapembwa, Tambatamba, Chushi Kasanda, etc must lead this fight and save the girl-child from randy lecturers. Future leaders don’t have a future. Many college girls graduate with HIV. Take this matter seriously. Don’t spurn former 1st ladies as they can help in this matter. I advise 1st Lady Mutinta to mobilize her colleagues and help out. Sit with the students in confidence and you’ll be shocked by what will come out. This is why we want the office of the First Lady to be recognized so that it can have its own budget
So what happens to the excess students? They go roaming the streets? It’s your duty to increase space. Or are you afraid you don’t have the capacity to employ? It’s better to have more trained people than to start recruiting foreigners because of shortage of trained manpower.
This government was thinking Edgar and PF had no vision when they were busy building hospitals and schools.
This clearly shows upnd government has no plans of building more schools.
Free education has led to overcrowding of schools by learners and your god BMW said it’s good, so what is your beef madam?
#5 De Javu, there’s a demand for nurses in the UK so we can export them. There’s a demand for other health professionals within the region and East Africa. We have students from as far as the Comoros studying here. Our hospitals are still understaffed, so we can’t stop training. When the MMD implemented SAP we lagged in many spheres, especially infrastructure. We must admit and find a solution. Unfortunately our colleagues think solutions will be found by blaming the PF
On the other hand you are complaining ati ….. we do not have enough nurses in the country. So what do you want madam?
Just tell us you do not have capacity to employ. Otherwise close the nursing schools until you employ all those trained nurses parading themselves in bars and night clubs.
Its not only nursing schools madam. Go to YUNZA. Students seat on others lapse. Four students on one bed in their hostels. Charcoal in residences.
Primary schools and Secondary schools are extremely congested and you cannot employ enough teachers to teach these kids. You can only afford 30000….(Which is not even coming).
Go to pre schools and Kindergardens….. same story mayo. Ala ifintu tafili bwino mayo.
#8 Ayatolla….it just shows that Hakainde’s ministers just open their mouths without opening their brains. The point you have brought up is not only a solution but a forex earner. Unfortunately we have people who go to the office to present their bodies not their brains.
And we thought Edgar had no vision…watoloka imisu wanyanta pamafi…Chipante pante Government has lost direction….HH is busy auctioning the mines to the highest bidder
Over enrolment has been necessitated due to lack of funding from government. Therefore, over enrolment is the other means of institutions making money. No funding, over enroll, period. Meanwhile, UPND is game without a referee.
What is Masebo talking about? So, it’s fine to over inroll in primary &Secondary schools? Are you normal? This is typical of Chipantepante mentality..