ZOCS launches research on upgrading community schools

The Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) has launched its longitudinal research on government’s programme of upgrading community schools in the country.

ZOCS Executive Director Harriet Miyato said the research intends to monitor and address lack of clarity that surrounds the upgrading programme between government and the community schools.

Ms. Miyato said the research will also interrogate processes that the government intends to use, criteria of selecting schools to be upgraded and effects of the upgrading system on beneficiaries.

She said this at the ZOCS inception report presentation in Lusaka today where she thanked Comic Relief and Irish Aid for making the research possible.

The three-year long research programme will be done in collaboration with the Institute of Economic and Social Research (INESOR) of the University of Zambia (UNZA).

And Ms. Miyato said the evidence collected will facilitate dialogue between the community schools, partners and the Ministry of Education with a view of ensuring that the upgrading of schools does not ultimately disadvantage beneficiaries.

She said ZOCS remains deeply humbled by government’s decision to upgrade community schools in the country.

And a researcher from Institute of Economic and Social Research Nalukui Milapo revealed that community schools were a critical part of education systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ms. Milapo noted that government recognises the role which community schools play in the country.

She said community schools were a direct response to the challenges regarding government’s education system.