Lusaka Province Principal Public Relations Officer, Logic Lukwanda, has bemoaned that most parents are not taking advantage of the free education policy by taking their children to school.
Mr Lukwanda says it is disheartening that some parents are denying children access to education and has implored them to ensure that children attend school under the policy, urging communities to report violators.
He has however expressed happiness at Lusaka Province’s surpassing enrolment of one million learners, describing it as a significant milestone.
Mr Lukwanda told the media in an interview that the government has also heightened the feeding programme in schools, built and expanded classroom blocks through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as well as recruitment of teachers to ensure effective implementation of the policy.
“All these strides made in the education sector are to ensure that the free education policy runs smoothly as intended,” said Mr Lukwanda.
Meanwhile, Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia Director for Public International Relations, Obby Chisala, commended the government for the attention it has given the education sector.
Mr Chisala says the union has seen massive improvement in the allocation of school grants countrywide.
“As a union we have noticed that in the four years of the current government, the allocation of grants has been timely and consistent,” he said.
Mr Chisala further urged the school management to always use the school grants for the intended purpose and encouraged the school to ensure that all projects are documented for accountability purposes.
There’s no difference. Education has always been free in Zed. Come and see paid for Education in Europe
If it’s not the law that all children under a certain age have to be schooled then it should be made to be the case. Learning to read and write is almost a human right.
Education is free in the UK from the ages of 5 to 16 (primary and secondary) regardless of the immigation status in government-run schools. University education is not free, and students can access government loans for tuition and living costs. These loans are repaid based on the income after graduation. In Scotland, the universities offer free tuition.