Wanchinga awaits UPND ‘magic’ wand on free education
By GIDEON NYENDWA
THE Patriotic Front (PF) is keeping a “microscopic eye” on the new administration to see what magic will be applied to actualise free education for all.
Former General Education Minister, Dennis Wanchinga, said Zambians should wait and see the formula that the UPND would apply to actualise the promise of free education from grade one up to university.
“Let’s wait and see what the new government will do about it, maybe they have a magic formula of attaining that,” Dr Wanchinga said in an interview.
He however challenged the new government to give a clear definition of what they term as free education and the components they would like to cover because free encompassed a number of aspects.
Dr Wanchinga said his argument had always been on what constituted free education because the cost of education starts at the family level.
He stated that there was need to clearly point out where the government would start from.
“There are things like buying school bags, books, shoes, and transport to and from school because all these are educational costs,” he said.
Dr Wanchinga said other costs to look at included desks, chalk, salaries for teachers and other workers.
He said the new government must explain how they were going to meet the other costs if schools do not generate any revenue for themselves.
The UPND has pledged to provide free education from grade one up to university in the country.
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