Green Party reaction No. 2 on the UPND Ist budget: Education
Dear Editor,
FIRSTLY, we greatly commend the UPND Government for the measures taken in the education sector, which include construction of new schools in Western, North- Western, Southern and Copperbelt provinces; recruit- ment of 30, 000 teachers; scraping off user fees in pri- mary and secondary schools; decentralisation of the bursary and loan schemes approval to ward level; etc.
Obviously, these measures will go a long way to ease stresses chil- dren go through to learn in mud schools, under trees, and sitting on the floor. Generally, the measures will also ease the agony that the parents, and guardians, go through each time schools open.
But looking at the big picture, will these measures really sort out the main problem in already existing schools, colleges and univer- sities in the country generally, in terms of provision of quality edu- cation?
Of course increasing the number, and quality of teachers and lec- turers, has some considerable impact on provision of quality educa- tion. But has that been the main problem in Zambia? And will the budget allocation make any difference?
PF allocation to the education sector in the last five years, as a percentage of the total budget, has been as follow:
2017: allocated 20.20 percent
2018: allocated 16.10 percent
2019: allocated 15.30 percent 2020: allocated 12.40 percent 2021: allocated 11.50 percent
And UPND Government in its first budget ever, has allocated a paltry 10.40 percent of the total budget, which is the lowest not only in the last five years, but the least in the last 30 years!
Mind you, teachers’ salaries, construction of schools and other capital projects, are not part and parcel of the education budget allo- cation. But the user fees, are complieentary to the education budget allocation.
So, in your right frame, do you think that by scraping off user fees, and allocation of the least budget in the last 30 years, the existing schools, colleges, and universities, will enroll more learners, and procure more teaching and lecturing aids, sufficient to yield quality education in these institutions?
Based on the analysis of the budget measures for the education sector, we in the Green Party believe that the UPND Government lacks an understanding of the fundamental problems that have rocked our institutions of learning, especially colleges and univer- sities.
Going forward, we predict an escalation of problems in tertiary, especially from lecturers and students, for want of learning aids, and other essential resources. Mark my word.
PETER SINKAMBA.
