Roadside welcome sign in Zambia indicating entry into the country, with vehicles passing by on a sunny day.
Zambia’s free education program, launched in 2021, has led to a significant increase in student enrollment, with an additional two million students now attending primary and secondary schools. To support the initiative, the Zambian government has invested over $1 billion in the education sector since 2021. It plans to build over 170 new schools and recruit 55,000 new teachers by 2026, with 37,000 teachers already hired. Unfortunately, the surge in enrollment has outpaced the government’s investment, with challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers, and a shortage of desks and textbooks threatening the provision of quality education. Despite these challenges, Education Minister Douglas Syakalima views the overcrowding positively, stating that education is the best economic policy and that it’s better for children to be in congested classrooms than on the streets.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS