Education Administration and Policy Studies

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Decentralised financial management in Zambian basic schools.
(2011) Lisulo, Sibeso
Financial management challenges confronting higher learning institutions of learning under the decentralisation policy in Zambia: the case of the national in-service training.
(The University of Zambia, 2012) Moonga, Arnolt L. H; Changala, Moses; Lisulo, Sibeso
In the early 1990s the government of the Republic of Zambia embarked on administrative, political and socio-economic reforms in order to improve its service delivery in all sectors of the economy. The Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP, 2006–2010) emphasises the need for the reforms to be completed and acknowledges that in the early 1990s, the government began a political and socio-economic reform process which involved democratising the political system, transforming the administrative system and liberalising the economy. According to the Ministry of Education (MoE, 2005) during this period the Public Service was bloated, inefficient, ineffective, and inadequately responsive to the needs of the public. It was also characterised by poor discipline and inadequate professionalism and accountability, resulting in poor service delivery. To redress this situation, the government embarked on implementing the Public Service Reform Programme (PSRP) in 1993 as a systematic long-term measure to reform the Public Service. The overall goal of the PSRP was “to improve the quality, delivery, efficiency and cost effectiveness of public services to the people of Zambia”. Initially, the Public Service Reform Programme had three main areas of focus, namely; Restructuring, Management and Human Resources Performance Improvement, and Decentralisation and strengthening of Local Government. These were aimed at streamlining the functions, structures, establishments, and operations of ministries/institutions in order to create a lean, less costly, but well motivated Public Service. They were also aimed at introducing organisational, management, and accountability systems into government operations to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public services and decentralising authority and control of resource allocation and utilisation from Central Government to districts and local authorities (GRZ, 1993). As earlier mentioned, all sectors of the economy underwent administrative, political and socio-economic reforms and the tertiary education sector was not an exception. The tertiary sub- sector can be characterised by two specific groups. The first are those institutions falling directly Published by the University of Zambia on behalf of OSSREA Zambia Chapter. ISBN: 978-9282-22-845-9 38 under the Ministry of Education (MOE). These include the two universities; the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Copperbelt University (CBU). In addition, there are 14 Teacher Training Colleges in the country of which 12 cater for the production of teachers for grades 1–7 and the other two for upper basic and high schools. The Natural Resources Development College also provides teachers for agricultural sciences. The second group comprises those colleges registered under the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Authority (TEVETA), which consist of 151 colleges offering diplomas in various fields. Roughly half of these colleges are private with the remaining 23 run by the government, religious organisations or the community. The number of students enrolled in these tertiary institutions numbered 24,648 in 2000 (GRZ, 2006). In order to execute the reforms, the then Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology and Vocational Training established Education Boards throughout the country in Colleges of Education and Trades Training Institutes. This was a way of decentralising the financing and management of higher institutions of learning. The government through these Ministries introduced College Boards as a component of the decentralisation programme.
Social isolation and aging in Zambia: examining the possible predictors.
(Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2012) Mapoma, Christopher Chabila; Masaiti, Gift
ThisresearchpaperexaminedsocialisolationandaginginZambiabyexaminingpossiblepredictors.Thepaperproducesevidence on risk factors likely to engender social isolation among the elderly population of Zambia. Snowball sampling was undertaken to select690adultsaged60andoverincommunitiesaswellasthoselivinginhomesfortheaged.Astructuredquestionnairewasused tosolicitinformationfromrespondents.ResultsshowthatoldpeopleinZambiaexperienceformsofsocialisolationwhichexhibit themselves (but not limited to) through such factors as loss of appetite, stress, moody, hopeless, useless, unhappy, and lonely. On balance, however, the direction of association and the number of statistically signiﬁcant ﬁndings suggest that associations between variables examined and risk factors associated with social isolation amongst older people in this analysis could explain the overall situation occuring currently in Zambia and probably other developing countries. In view of this, this study recommends that furtherworkisneededtoidentifyandexplaindetailsoffactorsofsocialisolationusingtechniquessuchasfocusgroupdiscussions as well as in-depth interviews with key informants. Such approaches may even help to explain why, for example, sex seems not to be signiﬁcant in determining indicators of social isolation.
Evaluating school health policies in Zambia: an application to administration of the hiv and aids health education policies in the selected basic schools of Mazabuka district.
(Africa federation of teaching regulatory authorities, 2012) Simuyaba, Eunifridah
This paper evaluated the effectiveness of the HIV and AIDS school health education programmes in the selected basic schools of Mazabuka district. The principle objective of the study was to examine the implementation models of the prevailing school health policies in the selected schools and to determine the effectiveness of these school-based policies in transmitting HIV and AIDS health messages. Self-administered questionnaires and a semistructured interview guide were used to collect data from a sample of 180 respondents. Data for this study was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The study revealed that 94 per cent of the respondents had a great deal of understanding of basic concepts of HIV and AIDS and other related knowledge. Additionally, government initiatives through development of directives on what to teach, who to teach and how to teach HIV and AIDS school health content have been spotted in all the target schools. The central argument of this paper is that school based HIV and AIDS health policies exist and that the implemented policies have begun to yield a positive impact at the basic school level. Finally, the paper established that HIV and AIDS health education like any other subject in Zambia is not without challenges. Among the challenges identified was lack of specialised training for health education teachers. The Ministry of Education (MoH), therefore, needs to train and retrain teachers in HIV and AIDS health education components in order to instill confidence and effective teaching. Key words: Evaluation, HIV and AIDS education, School health policies, Basic schools
Cost sharing in Zambia’s public universities: prospects and challenges.
(European Journal of Educational Research (EJER), 2013) Masaiti, Gift; Shen, Hong
Students’ perceptions of financing public universities in Zambia: toward a more sustainable and inclusive policy strategy.
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) Masaiti, Gift
Since 1964, when Zambia became independent from British colonial rule, education became a major public agenda item for the development of human capital. The university of Zambia founded in the years after independence and later three more, funding generally remained the responsibility of the central government to use education as a tool for socioeconomic development. As Hoffman (1996) indicated, “[I]n the intermediate afterglow of newly found independence, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa looked at higher education as one of the essential elements of economic and political revitalisation, and in some instances, as the cornerstone of a new society.” Education, since independence, is seen as a tool for developing the manpower capabilities of the nation. After the creation of the first public university, Zambia followed “a full government support model” to manage this institution. In this model, the government equips and provides learning facilities, including lecture halls, libraries, accommodation, recreation facilities, staff salaries and development. Given the lack of capacity, most staff was sent overseas to train and prepare as academics to take over from a largely expatriate faculty (Coburn, 1993; Kelly, 1991
Innovations in educational assessment in africa: a proposed framework for the Zambian secondary school sector.
(ResearchGate, 2014) Msango, Henry J; Luchembe, Musonda; Changala, Moses; Sibeso, Lisulo; Moonga, Anolt L.H.
Assessment is an essential part of any educational enterprise. Its policies and practices are critical to any educational improvement strategy which is essential to teaching and learning, monitoring, evaluation and improvement of the education system. Education assessment is used to determine learner competencies for certification, progression from one level to another and suitability for employment. Assessment must, therefore, be aligned to national goals in order to have a beneficial influence on the economic and social conditions of people. The credibility of an education system is determined by the quality of its education assessment.Countries endeavour to employ educational assessment systems that are congruent with national objectives and goals. In Africa, many countries have had curriculum changes and innovations, some of which have not been accompanied by appropriate educational assessment systems resulting into unacceptable educational outputs.This paper examined the main features of educational assessment in the Zambian secondary education sector since independence. Some of the findings were that the format of assessing learners in this sector had not changed over the years, the educational assessment was conducted internally by the schools and externally by the Examinations Council of Zambia, and that the public paid more attention to the assessment done by the external examinations. The proposed innovations included government and other stakeholders to adequately finance the secondary school sector in order to acquire the necessary teaching and learning resources, strengthen continuous assessment and decentralize the operations of the Examinations Council of Zambia.
Zambia: an overview of formal education.
(Continuum Books, 2014) Masaiti, Gift; Chita, Joseph
Zambia attained its political independence from Britain in 1964. Before this period there were 75 years of colonial administration during which most of the provision of education was mainly in the hands of missionaries (Simposya, 2003). At independence there were already two education systems running parallel on racial lines: well-financed, for colonial masters, and poorly financed and basic for the natives (Simposya, 2003). After independence, the decade which followed (1964–74) is still considered by many researchers as a period of relative success in development of the country’s infrastructure, and also social-economic gains (Kelly, 1991; Carmody, 2004). It is within this period that Zambia realized formal education up to university level. In 1975, Zambia’s economic fortunes plummeted with the world decline in the price of copper, Zambia’s main export. The next 15 years saw negligible GDP growth, high rates of joblessness and the increasing inability of the state...
Integration of HIV and AIDS into pre-service and in-service teacher training programs in Zambia.
(Ministry of General Education, Zambia, 2014-10-30) Jacobs, James W; Mbewe, Simeon; Daka, Harrison; Chitanda, Rhodwell
In an effort to determine what is being taught to pre-service and in-service teachers (PITs) in Zambian schools, this study examined how effective TTIs are at implementing policy directions provided by the Ministry of General Education (MESVTEE) and other government agencies involved with the national response to the AIDS epidemic. Our report is divided into four primary sections. The introduction summarizes the methodology and the study design. The next section looks at the background and overview of HIV education in Zambia. Survey results are then introduced and discussed according to the seven central research questions. In-depth interviews with content area experts (CAEs) help supplement the survey findings as well as provide vivid examples of policy suggestions. The final section summarizes the findings and provides a list of suggested best practices and recommendations for the future of HIV education as it relates to pre-service and in-service teacher training (PITT) programs in Zambia. In terms of the study methodology, this section introduces the list of participating teacher training institutions (TTIs), participant groups, instruments used, training of the research team members, and instruments used for the study.
HIV and AIDS workplace policy : an implementation assessment of strategies in selected high schools of Lusaka and Northern provinces.
(2015) Mukalula-Kalumbi, Mwansa
Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, this study investigated the extent to which teachers and secondary school pupils were benefiting from the strategies that were being implemented in secondary schools of Lusaka and Northern Provinces as workplaces in relation to the HIV and AIDS Workplace Policy. It tried to provide insight into the responses of pupils and teachers to the HIV and AIDS Workplace Policy. It was undertaken to establish if the strategies as stipulated in the HIV and AIDS Workplace policy of the Ministry of Education were benefiting the intended targets. The findings were that the stakeholders were aware of the challenges posed by HIV and AIDS but a lot more needed to be done, in terms of effective implementation of strategies in place. As at yet there was no systematic inclusion of HIV and AIDS in the curriculum hence teachers finding it difficult to teach in class. Teaching and learning materials proved to be a challenge since they were not standardized. Teachers had problems teaching since it was just a fraction of them who were trained to fuse HIV and AIDS teaching in their lessons. The study recommended that the curriculum should be standardized at secondary school level through systematic inclusion in the curriculum. All teachers should be trained in HIV and AIDS teaching as well as life skills. HIV and AIDS should become an alone standing subject which should be examinable.
HIV and AIDS workplace policy: an implementation assessment of strategies in selected secondary schools of Lusaka and Northern provinces.
(School of Education, 2015) Mukalula-Kalumbi, Mwansa
Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, this study investigated the extent to which teachers and secondary school pupils were benefiting from the strategies that were being implemented in secondary schools of Lusaka and Northern Provinces as workplaces in relation to the HIV and AIDS Workplace Policy. It tried to provide insight into the responses of pupils and teachers to the HIV and AIDS Workplace Policy. It was undertaken to establish if the strategies as stipulated in the HIV and AIDS Workplace policy of the Ministry of Education were benefiting the intended targets. The findings were that the stakeholders were aware of the challenges posed by HIV and AIDS but a lot more needed to be done, in terms of effective implementation of strategies in place. As at yet there was no systematic inclusion of HIV and AIDS in the curriculum hence teachers finding it difficult to teach in class. Teaching and learning materials proved to be a challenge since they were not standardized. Teachers had problems teaching since it was just a fraction of them who were trained to fuse HIV and AIDS teaching in their lessons. The study recommended that the curriculum should be standardized at secondary school level through systematic inclusion in the curriculum. All teachers should be trained in HIV and AIDS teaching as well as life skills. HIV and AIDS should become an alone standing subject which should be examinable.
Theory against practice: training of teachers in a vacuum.
(Journal of Education & Social Policy, 2015) Simuyaba, Eunifridah
This paper is based on a study conducted in selected schools in Lusaka District in Zambia. The study aimed at getting teachers’ and head teachers’ perceptions on the performance of University of Zambia student teachers on teaching practice. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Questionnaires and interviews for head teachers and class teachers mentoring the student teachers were administered. The main findings were that the training offered to these students did not prepare them for really-life situations in the field. The absence of values, attitudes, morals and practical approaches, methods, and techniques to suit real life situations in schools make the training offered ineffective and to some extent irrelevant. The study recommended more field observations within a classroom under the supervision of the classroom teacher, longer period of teaching practice where a student teacher is under close supervision of the classroom teacher and internship where a newly qualified teacher is supervised within his or her own classroom for some time. Key words: Teaching practice, perceptions, training, professional development.
Effectiveness and viability of revenue diversification in sub-saharan africa’s higher education: examining Zambia’s public universities.
(International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education, 2015) Masaiti, Gift
Universities world over especially in Sub-Saharan Africa are pressed by the severity of inadequate government funding. In Zambia, the government has attempted to respond to this austerity by putting different policies to improve the outlook of public universities based on decentralization and democratic principles of efficiency, equity, accountability and cost effectiveness. Since the 1996 Policy of Education, the financing of higher education is based on cost sharing, revenue diversification and student loan scheme. This paper examines the effectiveness and viability of the current revenue diversification policy in making Zambia’s public universities sustainable. A self administered questionnaire based on convenient sampling was used to collect data from 200 faculty respondents in three public universities. Data was subjected to descriptive statistics and Exploratory Factor Analyses. The findings revealed that the current policy of revenue diversification was less effective and viable in that universities were still experiencing a plethora of challenges because of lack of adequate funds. Revenue diversification only had a modest impact, as its percentage proportion contribution of recurrent expenditure budgets was still low. The study highly recommends that decision-making be decentralised and universities be allowed to charge economic fees and exploit other revenue generating activities. The study also recommends the adjustment of the current university act which is a hindrance to effective entrepreneurship
Relevance of teacher induction programmes in promoting professional development of teachers in Zambia.
(2015) Mwelwa, K.; Mwanza, P; M'sango, H.J.
This paper highlights the relevance of teacher induction programmes in the professional development of new teachers in Zambia. With regards to research methodology, the authors reviewed and critically analysed various induction-related pieces of literature from both local and international empirical studies, education policy documents and practice papers. The paper begins by conceptualizing the meaning of induction in Teacher Education. It gives an illuminating insight into the significance of induction programmes in promoting teacher quality and professionalism. After carefully analysing Zambia’s current situation in so far as beginning teacher induction programmes is concerned in comparison to other international practices, the paper raises a number of critical points upon which policy makers, managers and teachers in the education sector may reflect to inform policy on the indispensability of effective induction programmes in promoting professional practice among those joining the teaching profession.
Current issues in education law in Zambia : what educators must know.
(2015) Mukalula-Kalumbi, Mwansa; M'sango, Henry Joshua; Mulenga-Hagane, Lydia Mukuka; Mwelwa, Kapambwe; Daka, Harrison; kakupa, Paul; Mabuku-Matale, Mushaukwa; Tembo, Pilira
The paper discusses the importance of understanding the nature and implications of legal issues in education. It analyses the scholarly articles related to education law globally. Most importantly, it analyses issues pertaining to the Education Act of 2011 as well as the Teaching Profession Act of 2013. It brings to the fore the main issues that the two acts aim to address vis-a-vis, areas of liability in education, ethics and teaching, unethical conduct and fraud in education as well as discipline. The paper raises serious concerns upon which education could be managed without impinging on the rights of all the participants. Since the current society is rights based, it is important for teachers to understand legal issues in education process in order to create harmony in the system.
Education for all: 50 years after Zambia's indepencence.
(School of Education, 2015) Mwanza, Peggy; Msango, Henry Joshua
This article explains that although there has been progress towards increased access to primary education for grades 1 to 7 over the years, there has been no similar progress for junior secondary school, grades 8 to 9. Thus access to nine years of basic education still remains a challenge, especially among the vulnerable pupils. In addition, the quality of education in most primary and junior secondary schools is poor. It argues that it is not only important to get children into school but it is also important to ensure that they stay in school, receive good quality education and complete a full cycle of basic education. As such, the 2015 target of attaining nine years of basic education for all may not be accomplished if developing countries such as Zambia will not strengthen their focus on out-of-school children and improving the quality of education. In view of the foregoing, the article recommended that the Government of the Republic of Zambia, Non-governmental Organisations and other stakeholders should put in place measures that will ensure that vulnerable children (including girls) stay in school; that teachers and schools have all the requisites for offering quality basic education; and that there are incentives for teachers working in the most rural schools.
Linking teacher effectiveness to school performance: evidence from rural day secondary schools in the western province of Zambia.
(Zambia Journal of Teacher Professional Growth, 2015-09-15) Kakupa, Paul; Tembo, Pilira; Daka, Harrison
This study aimed at establishing particular aspects of teacher effectiveness in the rural day secondary schools of the Western Province of Zambia. The objectives of the study were to explore the characteristics and practices of teachers in high and low performing rural day secondary schools and investigate the major hindrances to teacher effectiveness in these schools. Using a multiple case-study design, the study collected the data from 128 participants drawn from two pairs of day-secondary schools; classified as either high performing or low performing. The data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and observations. The findings were that the high performing schools were characterised by highly motivated teachers; mostly with diploma qualifications, presence of local professional development activities, frequent academic monitoring of pupils and positive teacher expectations of pupils‟ success. Teachers‟ sex and experience at a school were not associated with effectiveness. The factors threatening teacher effectiveness included inadequate infrastructure, poor conditions of service, insufficient teaching materials, and teacher absenteeism.
Teacher professionalism in Zambia: practices, challenges and prospects in the post-2015 era.
(2016) Simuyaba, Eunifridah
This article discusses the concept of teacher professionalism in the Zambian context. The aim of the article was to highlight the current strides that newly established Teaching Council has put in place in its quest to professionalise teaching. Since Zambia attained her political independence in October, 1964, there has been a great desire to see a teacher acquire a professional status, that is, an occupational status symbol. Most school teachers, college and university lecturers, the parents and many educationists look forward to a day when the teaching profession will have this status. Against this background, the Government of the Republic of Zambia in conjunction with other stakeholders in the education sector has made strides with the view to professionalise teaching. Particular efforts point to the enactment of the Teaching Profession Act no.5 of 2013 and the development of a Code of Ethics and Conduct to regulate the teachers’ practice and professional conduct in government and private schools. Despites having made some strides in this direction, many structural challenges have made it difficult to actualise this status. The practices and structural challenges associated with teacher professionalism are discussed in this article and we conclude thisby highlighting some prospects in Teacher professionalism in the post 2015 era.
Trade-off Issues in teacher education at the University of Zambia: growing student numbers and the quality of teacher education processes. International Journal of teaching and learning in Africa 3(1), 82-86.
(AFTRA, 2016) Chipindi, Ferdinand
Shifting from government bursaries to a loan scheme in higher education: exploring the Zambian experience in student financial aid.
(International Journal of African Higher Education, 2016) Masaiti, Gift; Mwelwa, Kapambwe; Mwale, Nelly
One of the current critical issues in higher education in Africa and globally is about making student loans available in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. The argument is more complicated for Africa because of the complexities associated with loan schemes and the general austerity that African countries find themselves in. This article presents a case study and conceptualizes the scenario of shifting government bursaries to a student loan scheme in Zambia’s higher education sector. Based on student views (N=729) and international experience, the article presents student reactions to the announcement of the implementation of the loan scheme in Zambia. Other issues explored in detail include cost-effectiveness and sustainability, loan conditionalities and forms of assistance to poor students. The article also highlights, and provokes policymakers with, questions on student loan schemes based on international experience. These are related to the modalities of who bears the ultimate risks; when and how to make the recoveries; and difficulties associated with “means testing” for would-be beneficiaries. The article uses quantitative methodological perspectives, in which “descriptive statistics” and “factor analysis” are employed. The major finding is that Zambian students are not opposed to the introduction of the student loan scheme, instead they see it as a cost-effective way of assisting students from a vulnerable background. The article strongly recommends exploring in detail the situation in other countries, so that all strengths and weaknesses are identified and carefully considered, before implementing the scheme

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