The Development and role of multiracial private secondary schools in Zambia
Date
2011-04-29
Authors
Chilufya, Rosemary Chisanga
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Abstract
The study was carried out on the development and role of private secondary schools in Zambia. The focus was on multiracial private secondary schools. The study also analysed government's perception of multiracial private secondary schools at various times in the history of Zambia. The contribution of multiracial private secondary schools to the educational system in Zambia were also examined.
The study was predominantly historical, using a qualitative approach to archival and
contemporary data. The instruments used were documents, questionnaires, interview
guide and an observational checklist. A questionnaire was given out to sixty-four
respondents and interviews were made to sixteen respondents. The researcher selected
four multiracial private secondary schools. The sample had a total of eighty respondents: forty students, twelve teachers and four school managers from four multiracial private secondary schools, twelve parents with at least a child in a multiracial private secondary
school, two proprietors of multiracial private secondary schools and ten officials from the Ministry of Education. The respondents in all cases included both male and female.The main objectives were to: trace the development of and analyse government'sperception on multiracial private secondary schools at various times, assess the role of multiracial private secondary schools in Zambia, and examine the contribution of multiracial private secondary schools in the educational system in Zambia.The findings were that multiracial private secondary schools had developed because of the varied educational policies, need for continued international education mostly for the international community and need for quality education. The other findings were that
multiracial private secondary schools serve the following roles: being a model for the
public educational system, catering for the rights of the parents in a democratic society, class serving role, and supplementing government efforts in a modern society. The multiracial private secondary schools have attained high standards, earned international
recognition for Zambia and provided alternative and international curriculum mainly for the international communities and a few Zambians. The study also found that theMinistry of Education rarely inspected multiracial private secondary schools, the school fees in multiracial private secondary schools were very high, and not many Zambian families could afford them; and that the educational policies do not have specific sections or articles for multiracial private secondary schools.
The researcher made the following recommendations: government may need to visit multiracial private secondary schools regularly in order to have an overview of these schools and offer advice where necessary; school fees in multiracial private secondary schools should be regulated or scholarships could be created so as to let more average Zambian families to send their children to those schools; the government schools should work together with the multiracial private secondary schools in order to learn from each
other in attaining high standards and good quality education in their schools; the
development of and role played by multiracial private secondary schools should be encouraged through favourable educational policies; and a study should be carried out to ascertain the types of private secondary schools in Zambia.
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Keywords
Education law and legslation -- Zambia , Private schools -- Zambia , Education, Secondary -- Zambia