Ministry of Education loses K60 billion meant for text books

The Ministry of Education lost the entire 2014 budgetary allocation for textbooks amounting to K60 million due to various court processes.

This came to light this morning during the signing ceremony for contracts for the supply and delivery of school textbooks for Grades 2, 6, 9 and 11 based on the revised curriculum to respective schools countrywide.

General Education Permanent Secretary Chishimba Nkosha says apart from the budget loss, the ministry also lost fifteen months in floating the other tender for the supply and delivery of textbooks for both pupils and teachers in Grades 2, 6, 9 and 11 based on the revised curriculum to respective schools countrywide.

Speaking at the same event, Book Publishers Association of Zambia, Chairman, who is also Oxford Press Country Coordinator, Anson Banda says learners in Zambia deserve access to quality education if they are to be useful in society.

Mr. Banda says publishers will always be there to see to it that they publish books according to syllabus and work together to address challenges faced by learners in the country.

The contractors awarded contracts include; Gray Matter Zambia Limited, Book World Africa, Book Hut Zambia Ltd, MK Publishers Ltd and Oxford University Press.