In 2021 Zambia introduced free primary and secondary education for all children in state-run schools, a policy change which has both increased school enrolment and reduced poverty.
The new policy was announced to parliament in October 2021 by Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane in fulfilment of a campaign promise made by the United Party for National Development before the August 2021 presidential and general elections.
Mr Musokotwane said that the government would build 120 new secondary schools, financed by a World Bank loan. The government also intended to hire an additional 55,000 teachers by the end of 2026. Of these 37,000 have already been hired.
Zambia has invested over $1bn in education over the past three years. In 2021 the share of the government budget allocated to education was 11.5% and in 2023 it was 17%. Even so, experts believe this figure needs to increase to 21% if the government’s aim of providing good quality education for all children is to be realised.
Meanwhile, the number of children in school has risen by around 2 million. Classrooms are crowded, sanitation facilities are stretched, and in some cases six or seven pupils complete to use a single text book. Many children arrive in school early to avoid sitting on the floor as there is a great shortage of desks. Furthermore, with large primary class sizes it is difficult to provide one-to-one teaching and many children starting secondary school struggle to understand simple texts.
The problems resulting from this dramatic change in policy are many. However, according to a United Nations report, the offer of free education increased school enrolment in Zambia by 8.4% in 2021 and by 12.4% in 2022. And there has been a fall of 3.7% in the number of households living in poverty due to the elimination of school fees. Female-headed households are the main beneficiaries.
There are likely to be significant benefits for Zambia if the new policy can be sustained. Education Minister Douglas Syakalima has emphasised that the aim is produce citizens who are principled, honest, and ethical. But he also wants young minds to appreciate that wealth can be created through entrepreneurship as well as through traditional white-collar jobs, and that skills such as carpentry, landscaping, and farming are not inferior but are also revenue-generating opportunities for future generations.
Zambia’s policy of providing free education has great potential. But can it be sustained?