And it seems the Zambian Government is too excited to achieve this goal at all costs. Is it achievale?
This is achievable, and we shall achieve it. The question is: What quality of Education shall we achieve by the year 2015? The Government of Zambia has made a lot of strides in making sure that the citizenry is educated. Primary schools (up to grade 7) have (almost) been fade out. The primary schools are now basic schools (grades 1 to 9), and high schools (grades 10 to 12) have been introduced.
This is achievable, and we shall achieve it. The question is: What quality of Education shall we achieve by the year 2015? The Government of Zambia has made a lot of strides in making sure that the citizenry is educated. Primary schools (up to grade 7) have (almost) been fade out. The primary schools are now basic schools (grades 1 to 9), and high schools (grades 10 to 12) have been introduced.
This is a good idea. Children can now have a basic education. With basic education, children should as well be equipped with the learning environment they would encounter when they qualify to Grade 10. At the moment there is hardly any basic school with lab facilities to foster for some practical works. more can be said on this, you may add your own thoughts.
The basic schools have now out numbered the high schools. So, where do those children that qualify to go to Grade 10 go to when the high school are already filled? They have nowhere to go to besides going back home and trying to help with different chores at home or worse still, start with the vices we teach them against. Again, you may add more of your thoughts.
It is as though government heard my concern, but just decided to make it worse.
You now just have to have a basic grade 9 certificate to proceed to grade 10. How on earth can you have all those children in schools which are non-existent? I was shocked when I heard the pronouncement from the minister of education.
I eagerly awaiting government's pronouncement that they were going to upgrade the infrastucture of a number of basic schools in the country. increase the number of classes in the high schools so that the many children that come from the basic schools can be accommodated. The situation now is having over 70 children in one class. Yes, and I mean 7 x 10 = 70.
The majority of the teachers in these basic schools are trained to teach up to grade 7. Now they have to be tasked to teach grades 8 and 9 - without training!! The infrastructure is not enough to handle the many children and teachers. There is under staffing, and many teachers have to do double classes. this is not just a double class. It's a class where you would have grade 3 and 4 pupils learning in the same class. What logic there is in this I still do not understand.
The children have been learning for free up to Grade 9. And they were happy the government was helping them. They would qualify to go senior secondary, and now be faced with the headache of searching for at least half a million kwacha to get to school. Free education should be free education at all levels otherwise we are moving more steps backwards than we are forwarding.
Government should not just upgrade the grades in schools, they should upgrade all the staff, infrastructure and finances for education to be for all at all times.
The majority of the teachers in these basic schools are trained to teach up to grade 7. Now they have to be tasked to teach grades 8 and 9 - without training!! The infrastructure is not enough to handle the many children and teachers. There is under staffing, and many teachers have to do double classes. this is not just a double class. It's a class where you would have grade 3 and 4 pupils learning in the same class. What logic there is in this I still do not understand.
The children have been learning for free up to Grade 9. And they were happy the government was helping them. They would qualify to go senior secondary, and now be faced with the headache of searching for at least half a million kwacha to get to school. Free education should be free education at all levels otherwise we are moving more steps backwards than we are forwarding.
Government should not just upgrade the grades in schools, they should upgrade all the staff, infrastructure and finances for education to be for all at all times.
I would love to know if the minister has children that fall in that category. may be they are performing very poorly and he would like them qualify with the minimum results.
Imagine a certificate holder writing the G12 final exams. he will do the same hoping to go to college with a basic certificate of education. Soon we shall have colleges, and the universities taking up all those that have proof of completing G12.
Zambia needs a much dedicated effort in achieving education for all. it is achievable. Achieving the MDGs does not mean we have to achieve the basics of it, we need quality achievement. These are development goals. We cannot develop with very poor results from our children and children's children.
Not all shall be chosen, a few shall be selected and we have to improve on that quality so that their output shall be qualitable as well.
We are losing our high education standards, especially in government funded schools. The private or church owned schools are forever going to be succeeding as they do not compromise quality at the expense of EFA.
We need high quality Education For All.
