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—Government has with immediate effect banned paid-for public tuitions in learning institutions.
And Government has expressed great concern over low literacy levels in the country.
Education Science Vocational Training and Early Education Minister, John Phiri, announced the ban on paid-for public tuitions in all the schools in the country on Thursday when he graced the inaugural Provincial Careers Day Exhibition and official launch of the Campaign
against Malpractice in Zambia held at Mpika Boys’ Secondary School in Mpika district of
Muchinga Province.
Dr. Phiri said with immediate effect, no school shall be permitted to hold tuitions in holidays or during weekends unless such tuitions will be paid for by the school and will involve all the schools.
He, however, said internally arranged tuitions which attract no cost at all to the pupil are encouraged.
Dr Phiri observed that paid-for public tuitions in schools disadvantaged pupils from poor families.
The minister also warned that no school, government, private or Missionary, will host learners from other schools to provide extra tuitions unless that particular school organizes its own pupils using the school money.
Dr Phiri also announced that with immediate effect all class teachers from Grades 8 to 12 shall avail subjects’ syllabus to all the pupils at the beginning of each term.
He said subject teachers should write the syllabus on the board for the pupils to copy or give them hand-outs of the syllabus if resources are available so that they (pupils) can know what they are supposed to cover in that particular term.
The minister has since directed all head teachers to ensure that the directive is implemented, adding that the move would help the school administration to effectively supervise the teachers in their respective schools.
Dr Phiri also called on the pupils in all the schools to ensure that they report to the school administration through their class monitors or prefects any teacher failing to finish the syllabus in that particular time.
He warned that any teacher failing to finish the syllabus of particular terms will be charged accordingly.
“We want to completely do away with examination malpractices in the country. Government will not allow a situation where pupils learn only 3 subjects out of 18 in a year. The genesis of the examination malpractices is failure by the teachers in respective schools to finish the subjects’ syllabus forcing the pupils and the teachers as well to find other alternatives means of ensuring that they pass the examinations, “said Dr Phiri.
Dr Phiri charged that government can effectively stop the examination leakages if teachers diligently delivered their lessons and pupils’ diligently accepted that deliverance.
He further warned that any school head teacher whose school persistently reports cases of examination malpractices must be charged and that the punishment should include a demotion for the head teacher who will be found wanting.
On Provincial Mock Examinations for Grades 7, 9 and 12 classes, Dr Phiri said they must be consistently be done on time to allow the Provincial office reflect on them and make a decision, adding that best performing head teachers and their staff must be rewarded.
And government says it remains committed to providing quality education to all its citizens.
However, said that the state is concerned about low literacy levels which are currently prevailing in the country.
The Education Minister noted that the current situation with regards to the literacy levels, if left unchecked, has the potential of denying the learners full participation in quality education.
Dr Phiri said reading skills are important to children s success in school and work, saying reading can be a fun and imaginative activity for children which he said opens doors to all kinds of new world for them.
And in launching the Provincial Careers day exhibition, Dr Phiri said government attaches great importance to the need of having an effective guidance programme aimed at preparing youths for future roles and productive lives.
Dr. Phiri said it is common knowledge that today’s learner is seen as a developer needing not only academic knowledge but also information about the world of work.
He said that there is vital need to prepare young people about the realities of employment situation to help them relate knowledge and skills acquired in education to their lives after school.
Dr Phiri said he expect teachers to guide pupils in terms of subjects that can help them meet the required qualifications or grades without any destructive motive, adding that humiliating pupils in the name of providing Career Guidance will haunt some teachers for the rest of
their lives.
The minister, however, implored pupils to develop interest in knowing and understanding themselves before they make a decision about the career each pupil wants to take.
And University of Zambia Manager for International Liaison and Public Relations, Mulenga Musepa, told the pupils drawn from all the seven districts in the province that it is not difficult to get a place at the university but that pupils lack knowledge on the courses and the subjects they will need to do for them to do a course of their choice.
Mr Musepa appealed to the pupils to consult their teachers when choosing a career.
Meanwhile, Dr Phiri has warned the teaching staff to stop humiliating pupils in the name of carrying out their duties as teachers.
Dr Phiri said teaching should not be perceived and taken as physic training but as a calling from God which has a lot of blessings once children become good leaders in society.
He noted that some teachers have a tendency of venting their anger caused by their personal problems on innocent pupils who are expecting professional conduct from the teachers to help them realise their dream careers.
Speaking at the same function, Muchinga Province Education Officer (PEO), Jobbicks Kalumba, said the objective of holding the Careers Day Exhibition is to give pupils career guidance and prepare them for future challenges.
Mr Kalumba explained that his office decided to host the provincial careers day as another platform of information sharing with both teachers and pupils while exchanging ideas on professional exhibitions.
Exhibitors at the Career Exhibition Day included Chilonga Nursing School, TAZARA Training School, University of Zambia and the Zambia College of Agriculture, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Zambia Police, Zambia National Service (ZNS), Zambia National Commercial Bank ( ZANACO) Finance Bank, Indo Bank and Local Government.
Others were the Immigration Department, Zesco, Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), Drug
Enforcement Commission, Zambia Prisons Services, and the media.
The Provincial Careers Day and launch of the Campaign against Malpractice was held under the theme” EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND DEDICATED LEARNING, A PILLAR TO QUALITY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE”.
