Government Suspends Public School Fees

The government has suspended the payment of school fees for public schools until further notice, following their indefinite closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Speaking to reporters in Lusaka, the ministry of education’s permanent secretary for technical services, Dr Jobbicks Kalumba, instructed schools not to ask parents to pay fees once they reopen, saying that the government would provide further guidance at that time.

Dr Kalumba said it was not in the national interest to ask parents to pay school fees while conventional learning is not talking place.

He also urged private schools to consider following suit, allowing parents to financially recover while classes remain suspended.

The permanent secretary said that schools would remain closed until further notice from President Lungu and that the Examinations Council of Zambia is currently in the process of revising this year’s examinations timetable.

He reiterated that the government would continue supporting education efforts through e-learning platforms, as well as regular radio and television broadcasts.

The government’s remote learning strategy has garnered some criticism, however, with some commentators saying it is insufficient for pupils in rural areas without access to the internet or even electricity. 

Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba