The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia has demanded for 21% budget allocation to the education sector for next year.
In a press statement made available to the Lusaka Star, NAQEZ Executive Director Aaron Chansa said that the Ministry of Finance has for too long neglected the education funding in the country.
Mr. Chansa highlighted that from 20.2% funding to the sector in 2015, the education sector has in the last two years received 15.3% and 12.4 % respectively.
He added that this kind of funding will keep affecting the country adversely both socially and economically.
NAQEZ is of the view that the current terrible funding to education in Zambia offends the guidance by SADC as it is against the aspirations of the 7th National Development Plan and will prevent the country from attaining vision 2030,
Mr. Chansa said.
The sector has more than 50,000 trained teachers who are still unemployed, schools needing more than 1.3 million desks, the urgent need for good teacher motivation, funding of Universities and Colleges, purchasing of more computers and books, it would be shocking if the Minister of Finance will once again undermine the importance of education through a measly allocation.
He noted that NAQEZ expects the budget to clearly separate funding of General Education from Higher Education, with a proposal that Ministry of General Education alone must receive 13 % of the total national budget while Ministry of Higher Education must have 8 % of the national budget.
He added that the organization strongly believes that Zambia will never sustainably develop with insignificant investments in education siting examples of countries such as Singapore, China, Malaysia and India have developed faster because of their huge investments in education.
NAQEZ has therefore challenged the Minister of Finance, Hon.Bwalya Ng, andu, to demonstrate the Country’s seriousness with education, through the 2021 budget.