AFRICA, Zambia, Education Needs Finances to Improve - Minister

GOVERNMENT is diligently working to improve education standards but needs more financial support to overhaul the sector, Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Minister John Phiri has said.

Dr Phiri, who was speaking on Sunday evening on a live Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Sunday Interview programme, said the education sector was significant for national development.

He said Government was committed to developing higher institutions such as colleges being transformed into universities to offer quality and accessible educational services to the people.

"Government is putting together resources to build teachers' houses, especially in rural areas but we appeal to all stakeholders to help us because the sector needs more funding," he said.

He said the current national Budget allocation of about 17 per cent to the sector was little due to pressing challenges and that approximately 22 per cent of continuous funding was needed.

On higher learning institutions, Dr Phiri said Chalimbana, Mukuba and Nkrumah which were being transformed into universities were progressing well and could be opened this year.

The six universities of education are Nkrumah (secondary education in social sciences) and Mukuba (secondary education in mathematics and science), Chalimbana (primary education and education administration), Palabana (agriculture), Robert Kapasa Makasa (science and technology) and Paul Mushindo universities.

Dr Phiri said some institutions of learning were faced with numerous challenges because of inadequate funding.

He cited the University of Zambia, Copperbelt University and Evelyn Hone College which annually over-enrolled, as some institutions experiencing a critical shortage of accommodation.

"But let me assure students that both myself and the Ministry of Finance have been pushing for more funding to address the issue of shortage of accommodation," he said.

On continuous leakages being recorded during Grade Nine and 12 examination periods, Dr Phiri said his ministry would soon convene an indaba with teacher unions and the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) to find lasting solutions to the problem.