Maravi

Ngoma sees public-private partnerships as key to growth in education
By Vincent Chilikima in Solwezi
Tue 03 Sep. 2013, 14:00 CAT

COPPERBELT University Vice-Chancellor Professor Naison Ngoma says it is through public-private partnerships that the growth of education will be achieved.

In a speech read on his behalf by CBU senior lecturer in the School of Natural Sciences Professor Patrick Phiri during the Zambia College of Open Learning graduation ceremony held in Solwezi under the theme 'Public Private Partnerships: Key to enhancing educational development', Prof Ngoma said through PPPs, development of the education sector would be promoted and problems of infrastructure in institutions of higher learning would be solved.

He said the government encourages partnerships by public institutions with private enterprises for purposes of providing quality human capital in the education sector for furtherance of educational development in Zambia.

Prof Ngoma described the graduation ceremony, which saw over 300 teachers obtaining diploma qualifications, as a testimony of the fruits of a successful partnership between CBU (public enterprise) and ZAMCOL (private enterprise).

Meanwhile, ZAMCOL director Phillip Mututa appealed to the government to contribute towards infrastructure development in viable private institutions within the same framework that it supports Christian mission schools.

He also implored graduating students to seriously reflect on why the performance of pupils was poorer now than in the past despite current teachers attaining higher qualifications than their previous counterparts.

Mututa explained that unless the graduating students effectively apply the new acquired knowledge, there would be a lot of questions raised both on their qualifications and commitment to duty.

And in passing a vote of thanks, a graduating student of history Keegan Kapapu appealed to ZAMCOL management to introduce undergraduate degree programmes and also expedite infrastructure development.

He also appealed to CBU to expedite the issuance of diplomas to students, saying his colleagues who graduated last year had not yet received the certificates.

ZAMCOL, a distance learning institution, conducted its eighth graduation ceremony with 313 graduands obtaining qualifications in mathematics, science, English, history, business studies, industrial arts and home economics.

Labels: COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY, NAISON NGOMA

posted by MrK @ 5:44 PM