Maravi

ZNUT praises MPs over free education

ZNUT praises MPs over free education
By Mwala Kalaluka
Saturday March 17, 2007 [02:00]

TEACHERS' unions and a civil society organisation have commended members of parliament for unanimously passing a motion urging the government to extend the policy of free education to Grade 12. Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) general secretary Roy Mwaba said in an interview yesterday that the move was encouraging in that it would propel the country to greater economic heights.

He said it did not make sense to have children get free education up to Grade 9 and fail to get to Grade 10 as a result of economic constraints on the part of their parents. He said the free education policy must also help do away with the other fees such as examination which pupils are usually expected to pay.

Mwaba said it has always been his organisation's interest to see the policy of free education extended to Grade 12 and that they have been engaging the government on this issue since 1991. "Our position now is that we are lobbying the government to ensure that this policy is implemented by next year, because we believe that our country will not be propelled forward if our children will not receive free education," Mwaba said. "It must not just be free education but it must be quality education."

Asked if the uniform proposal to provide free education at all levels of the secondary and basic education system would not have a strain on the sector in view of the meagre financial allocations, Mwaba said there would be no effect. He explained that the allocation towards teachers' personal emoluments and the funds disbursed to improve the quality of education were distinct.

And National Millennium Development Goals Campaign Group (NMDG) country coordinator Henry Malumo said the parliamentarians' positive response to the motion gave fresh hope that the attainment of the MDGS was possible by 2015. "We just want to commend the government because it has come out in very clear terms that we have a chance to attain the MDGs," Malumo said. "If the government will just apply the right energy we cam actually achieve the MDGs." He pointed out that this was a big step for the government to take considering that the year 2007 was the half mark of the threshold for developing nations to attain the goals which are targeted for 2015.

Malumo urged the developed nations to come in and supplement such moves by honouring their commitments towards supporting the education sector. "We also want to see this extended to other sectors like health, gender and environment," he said. On Wednesday, members of parliament nodded a motion moved by Mapatizya UPND member of parliament Ackson Sejani urging the government to extend the free education policy from basic level to Grade 12.

Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa put the motion to a vote and the whole House voted in the affirmative. Education minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said such an undertaking required serious consideration.

Labels: EDUCATION

posted by MrK @ 11:21 AM