Government says it will soon transform Kwame Nkruma and copper belt secondary teachers college into university colleges to enable teachers upgrade their qualifications and skills for quality education.
Education Minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said the ministry has also decentralized the most of its responsibilities to lower the levels up to school level programmes and other developmental projects are being implemented at these levels.
He said this during the world teachers’ day celebrations dubbed ‘’Teachers matter’’ held at Hubert Young grounds in Lusaka today.
The minister noted that the theme signifies the importance and critical role teacher’s play in building a just and moral society culminating into economic progress of societies.
Professor Lungwanasgwa also noted that government has continued to find ways of improving the conditions of services for teachers in the country.
He however noted that a rention scheme has been introduced for head teachers in hard to reach schools by way of provinding them with vechilesand has also the transformation of NISTICOL into manpwer training skills centre to provide administrative and management skills to schools and colleges mangers to enable the manage financial resources and human resource well.
and spaeking earlier secondary schools teachers Union SESTUZ president Nyambe Sefulo urged government to seriouly come up with a strategy to upgrade all Diploma holders to graduates and all certifficate holders to diplomas.
mr Sefulo further noted the need for government to consider increasing the taechers pay which is currently below the basic basket for the to ensure that teachers are wel cared for to deliver quality education.
And Zanmbia national Union of teachers ZNUT general secretary Roy Mwaba also pointed out that need for for government to recurit more teachers which is according to the UNSECO it is estimatted that about 18million more teachers re needed world wide if Universal primary education is to be archived by 2015.
Meanwhile United Nations Eduuction Sicentific and Cultural organisation UNSECO Hilda Sinywibulula noted that teachers contribute to the social economic development through the provision of education in schools and in formal settings which echoes how important teachers are in society.
he said UNESCO attaches great importance to teachers as key to building peace and culture of tolernce in an effort to enhance proffessional development of teachers through training capacity building in related profession so as to ensure the provision of quality education.
ends ah/zanis/lsk