The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa bordered by Tanzania, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The area of present-day Zambia was inhabited by hunter-gatherers, and the first Europeans arrived in the 18th century. The Territory of Northern Rhodesia formed the current borders of Zambia. The Territory was administered by the British South Africa Company from 1891 until it became a British colony in 1923. It remained a British colony until October 1964 when it declared independence and changed its name to Zambia.
The educational system of Zambia is based on the British model and is overseen by the Ministry of General Education. At independence Zambia had one of the most poorly developed education systems of Britain’s former colonies, with just 109 university graduates and less than 0.5 percent of the population estimated to have completed primary education. Among these, African women were almost entirely absent. The country has since invested heavily in education at all levels.
The population of Zambia is 11,477,447 and the literacy rate is 80.6%. English is the official language and the language of instruction in schools, with Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages also spoken in the country.
Structure of the Zambian Education System
The Zambian education system has a 7-5-4 structure, namely 7 years at primary school, 2 and 3 years at junior and higher secondary school respectively, and 4 years at university for undergraduate degrees. Compulsory primary education begins at seven years of age and lasts for seven years. Secondary education is divided into two cycles, the first lasting two years and the second lasting three years. A 12-year system of education with children starting school at age 7. Zambia follows the British education system.
- Lower primary school: 4 years (beginning at age 7)
- Upper primary school: 3 years (students are awarded a Certificate of Primary Education upon completion)
- Junior secondary school (Grades 8 and 9): 2 years (students are awarded a Junior Secondary School Certificate upon completion)
- Senior secondary school (Grades 10-12): 3 years (after completion, students sit for the Zambian School Certificate Examination or the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Levels))
Most schools follow the academic year that begins in January and ends in December, and is divided into three terms.
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Post-Secondary Education: Post-secondary programs are available at the 2 public universities: University of Zambia and Copperbelt University, as well as colleges, institutes and teacher training schools. There are many certificate and diploma programs ranging from 1 to 3 years offered at institutes and colleges.
University admission requires 5 passes at credit level on the Zambian School Certificate Examination or 5 GCE O-Level passes. Some 2-year diplomas from a college may be accepted for admission. The universities offer 1-3 year diploma programs in law, education, social work, and technology. Most bachelor degree programs are 4 years long and some specialized programs, including engineering, agriculture, and architecture are 5 years long. Master's programs are 15 months to 2 years long and require a bachelor's degree for admission.
The University of Zambia was opened in Lusaka in 1966 and graduated its first students in 1969. The university offers courses in agriculture, education, engineering, humanities and social sciences, law, medicine, mining, natural sciences, and veterinary medicine. The basic program is four years, although engineering and medical courses are of five and seven years’ duration, respectively.
Copperbelt University, formerly a part of the University of Zambia, achieved independent university status in 1987 and is located at Kitwe. It offers courses of study within its business, built-environment, natural resources, and technology schools. The language of instruction for both universities is English.
Other tertiary-level institutions are vocationally focused and include the Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce and the Natural Resources Development College, both in Lusaka, and the Zambia College of Agriculture and Northern Technical College, located in Monze and Ndola, respectively.
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In Zambia, there are three government universities and several technical schools that provide higher education. The Ministry of Science Technology and Vocational Training (MSTVT) in Zambia was also developed in 1992 to foster growth in technological fields.
University of Zambia
Challenges Facing the Zambian Education System
While the fact that more than 91% of Zambia’s children complete primary school is a statistic worth celebrating at face value, there are serious regional disparities that need to be addressed (UNICEF). For example, only about 81% of northern children complete primary school and even fewer - 79% - complete primary school in the capital city of Lusaka. Within those percentages, there are also gender differences that must be considered, with female students completing schooling at a rate about 10% lower than their male peers.
Once students complete primary school, only about 67% of students make their way to middle school and even fewer to secondary school. Educational opportunities beyond secondary school are limited in Zambia. After secondary school, students mostly study at the various colleges around the country. Normally they all select students on the basis of ability; competition for places is intense. The introduction of fees in the late 1990s has made university level education inaccessible for some, although the government does theoretically provide state bursaries.
Many issues plague Zambia’s educational systems, including insufficient tools and resources, unprepared teachers, and low continuing education rates. Zambia struggles with insufficient tools and resources, unprepared teachers and subsequent poor education, and poor continuing education rates.
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- Too few students in Zambia progress beyond primary school.
- Inequalities between rural and urban populations in Zambia extend to education. Around 23 percent of rural primary school children are out of school, compared to only 9 percent in urban areas.
- Schools must accommodate many students with limited resources, inside mostly run-down buildings and with teachers who have little or no training in very difficult conditions.
- The female literacy rate in Zambia is around 12 percent lower than the male literacy rate. This is due to endemic early marriage, teen pregnancy, sexual harassment, child labor and gender-biased school structures.
Further, Zambia’s struggle with social issues exacerbates the education problems. For example, HIV is rampant in Zambia with at least 50% of people living with the disease. HIV affects primary school attendance and teachers because many students orphaned by the disease never go to school or go to school hungry or exhibit behavioral problems. Teachers don’t get the support to help deal with these issues.
Beyond these issues, Zambia’s Ministry of Education is unsatisfied with their current school and education opportunities. Zambia’s Ministry of Education has a variety of initiatives they are moving toward improving, including relevance, efficiency, equity and lack of qualified teachers. In fact, many teachers are volunteers who travel to Zambia just to teach. A quick Google search produces pages of volunteer opportunities to teach children in Zambia. While volunteering is important and an amazing opportunity, many times the individuals do not hold certifications to teach in their own country.
While the intention is that school education should be mandatory for all, sadly many poorer children drop out along the way. The first 2 years of secondary school are spent at middle schools. Many students go off to work after this, because the prevailing culture is that they have completed a decent education. Those who elect to study on at higher secondary school, must first write a transitional selection examination. Thereafter, they may spend 4 years in an academic environment, where they hope to reach the standard required for their further university education.
The Zambian government regards the development of the nation’s skill base as fundamental to its economic growth. With this in mind, the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training program is being redeveloped, to realize the full potential of the nation's people.
Educational Technology in Zambia's Higher Institutions
Efforts to Improve Education
Zambia intentionally made policy changes to address access to schooling for children as early as 1986. The Zambian government has attempted to reform the education system, and conditions are slowly improving. In 1996 the government eliminated all school fees for grades 1 through 7, which improved access. Recently, the government also began working on a revised curriculum and literacy framework, and committed to improving teaching methodologies and supporting teacher development. The government is continuing to allocate more financial resources and policies to help resolve some of these issues. Improving education is a primary focus for many government officials in Zambia.
The Zambian Ministry of Education’s 2002 “Education for All” policy provided access to education for thousands of children, many coming from lower socioeconomic levels. The policy greatly benefited vulnerable children, especially girls, but it also challenged the education sector by flooding schools with more pupils than the system could handle.
To fight these issues in Zambia’s education system, the Strengthening Educational Performance Up Program (STEP-Up) aims to help the Ministry of Education undertake management reforms to improve learner performance. The purpose of STEP-Up is to assist the Zambian Ministry of Education (MESTVEE) to undertake education management reforms to improve learner performance.
In 2021, Jabbin Mulwanda, Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary, participated in a Global Partnership for England in South West London and said: “The Republic of Zambia is committed to supporting our national education sector by protecting and increasing the share of the national budget dedicated to education towards the global 20% benchmark. The education shares in 2021 were 11.8%; in 2022, it will be at 13.19%; and by 2023, we commit to increasing this by 14.25%. These projections are aligned to the country’s medium-term expenditure framework.”
In addition to these financial goals set by Zambia, many organizations and initiatives have stepped up to help solve some of the issues that Zambia struggles with by targeting specific objectives. The solutions are out there, but more work is needed. While many people are working diligently to empower change in Zambia, there is still plenty of work to do.
Many charities support schools and pupils in Zambia to complete their education. Sun-spring Charity School offers free basic education to Orphaned and Vulnerable Children, Brighter Futures Zambia cover the fees of orphan and vulnerable children in Monze, Southern Province. Impact Network operates 10 schools in Zambia's Eastern Province using an innovative e-learning model. Cecily's Fund funds the school courses of over 11,000 children (as of June 2010). The charity also fully funds Bwafano Community School in Lusaka. Other charities include Camfed, Bakashana, and Insaka who support young women and girls in Zambia to complete school.
Table: Key Aspects of the Zambian Education System
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Structure | 7 years primary, 5 years secondary (2 junior, 3 senior), 4 years university |
| Compulsory Education | Ages 7-14 |
| Literacy Rate | 80.6% |
| Key Challenges | Insufficient resources, unprepared teachers, low continuing education rates, regional disparities |
| Initiatives | "Education for All" policy, STEP-Up program, increased budget allocation |
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