LUSAKA — Enrolment in government schools has surpassed three million pupils following the expansion of free education from primary to secondary levels, according to Ministry of Education permanent secretary Joel Kamoko.
The policy removed tuition fees and examination levies that had kept vulnerable children out of classrooms, particularly girls in rural Eastern and Luapula provinces. Donor partners including UNICEF supported textbook distribution and sanitary pad provision for adolescent girls.
Basic Teachers Union of Zambia secretary-general Henry Sinkamba welcomed enrolment gains but said average class sizes in Lusaka exceeded 70 pupils, undermining learning outcomes. Government has recruited 5,000 teachers this year but attrition to better-paid private schools remains a challenge.
Infrastructure gaps persist, with some communities conducting lessons under trees while waiting for Constituency Development Fund classroom blocks. Parent-teacher associations in Kitwe raised K1.2 million locally to furnish science laboratories.
Researchers at Zambia Education Research Network recommended targeted remedial programmes for pupils who missed schooling during COVID-19 disruptions. Minister Douglas Syakalima said capitation grants would increase in the 2026 budget to address resource constraints.
