Zambia only attains two of Six ‘Education for All Goals’

Zambia has only attained two of the Six Education for All goals which come to an end in December this year.

Speaking during the global action week for education commemoration in Lusaka today, Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) Board Member Hamilton Mambo says goal number two which is achieving universal access to primary education and goal number five which is achieving gender parity at primary level have been achieved.

Mr. Mambo says the enrolment rate at primary school level has increased from 85.1% in 2000 to 93.7% in 2013 mainly attributed to the massive infrastructure development initiatives registered over the years.

He adds that the main concern now is the low quality of education and inadequate efforts targeted at enrolling the remaining 6.3% of the children who are out of school.

Mr. Mambo states that these children who are out of school fall in the category of orphans, child laborers, rural girls and children with special needs.

Mr. Mambo says the focus for all stakeholders should be to consolidate the progress the country has made in the provision of universal access to primary education as well as towards the attainment of gender equality at primary level.

And Ministry of Education Director of Standards Cecilia Sakala stated that there is no greater way for a country to empower its people than to give them education.