Dear Editor,
THE consistent and embarrassing failure rates at ZIALE demands for an inquiry by an independent body.
The academic happenings at this higher learning institution are not only embarrassing but calls for national introspection. The Government, stakeholders in the education sector, the legal fraternity and citizens should demand for sanity at ZIALE. While the education standards in Zambia have generally become poor, having 99.99 % failure rate is extraordinarily abnormal and unacceptable.
At one time ,the nation would recall that this same ZIALE failed almost all the magistrates who went to study there. This left the late President Mwanawasa wondering whether we had right Lecturers at ZIALE or not. How would Magistrates fail an examination which is based on what they practice daily ? There are serious allegations that most Lecturers at ZIALE lack teaching competencies, and that the institution had formed a cartel to systematically prevent students from being admitted to the legal bar. It would be sad if these allegations are true .
As NAQEZ, we demand for constitution of an independent investigating team consisting of independent legal experts ,educational stakeholders, Ministry of Education and the Church. This body must quickly assess the calibre and nature of ZIALE lecturers, calibre of ZIALE students ,the syllabus at the institution, the way exams are set and administered and whether we have a dangerous cartel at the institution or not .
The country can not continue to debate infamous failure rates at ZIALE without charting the way forward. We need to truthfully discover if indeed ZIALE needs reforms or the problem is with the quality of students at the institute.
RUTHERFORD MUMBA
NAQEZ Deputy Executive Director
