Dear Editor,
THE United Party for National D e v e l o p m e n t (UPND) promised free education from Grade One to tertiary level during the political campaigns and prior to the August 12 general election. The pronouncement of free education was welcomed by the people and it is one of the reasons people voted for UPND which is now the ruling party.
The baffling thing is that President Hakainde Hichilema did not mention about his government providing free education during his inauguration ceremony at the National Heroes Stadium and during his maiden speech as he opened parliament last Friday. The head of State instead stressed that the UPND government will provide quality education which the former ruling party did.
The issue of free education under the UPND regime has in the recent past become a heated debate. Some people feel cheated that the UPND government will provide free education once voted into office. The UPND government also campaigned on the premise of creating employment opportunities particularly for the youth and to revamp the national economy.
As things stand, some people, particularly parents and the pupils feel deceived by the UPND’s pronouncement of free education. This is because the head of State is mute on the matter.
This shouldn’t be the case. What the party should have done during the campaign period was to categorically state that it will provide quality education and not free education. In my considered view, pro[1]vision of free education is not attainable because it is costly.
Even developed countries with strong economies don’t provide free education. The promise of free education by the UPND government is good but not good enough in that the party did not outline how the free education programme will be actualised considering the fact that Zambia is highly indebted coupled with the poor economic state.
In a nutshell, free education is not attainable due to some economic challenges and other factors the country is grappling with. On the other hand, the promise of free education will remain an illusion as long as it is not actualised.
ELEMIYA PHIRI, Lusaka.
