Maravi

PS urges expansion of quality education

PS urges expansion of quality education
By Justin Katilungu in Kabwe
Thu 26 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

EDUCATION permanent secretary Florence Mfula says there is need for the expansion of quality education in Zambia.

Opening a five-day Southern African Development Community (SADC) sponsored national Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy development workshop at Tuskers Hotel in Kabwe, Mfula said ODL had the potential to contribute positively to Zambia's achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on education by 2015.

She said that Zambia today continued to face economic, social, education, security and health challenges that could only be surmounted by gaining more literacy.

Mfula said that the provision of adequate literacy programmes provided a good platform for the eradication of poverty and contributed to economic and social wellbeing of every citizen.

She said that the change of the mindset for every Zambian was critical towards appreciating ODL.
Mfula said that there was a realisation that ODL improved access to education, training and reduced inequalities in the acquisition of education because regular schools could not reach out to many learners as per the government wish.

She said that despite such a scenario, there were a lot of possibilities for the many Zambians accessing education under ODL because the system was more ideal for meeting educational requirements of today's learning environment.

Mfula said that ODL provided life-long education and training which depends on little infrastructure and this is why SADC has attached importance to gender equity and empowerment of women.

Central Province senior education officer for open and distance learning Charity Bwalya said the stakeholders attending the meeting would ensure that they developed a policy document that would stand a taste of time.

Labels: EDUCATION, FLORENCE MFULA

posted by MrK @ 11:21 AM