160,000 Southern Province Pupils Back in School

More than 160,000 children in Southern Province have returned to school as a result of President Hakainde Hichilema’s flagship ‘Education for All’ policy, which introduced free primary and secondary school education for all Zambian students in 2021.

This milestone was announced at a capacity building conference in Livingstone for head teachers and deputy head teachers across Southern Province to collaborate and share best practices.

“I am proud to say that most of us have done well. In Southern from the time free education was pronounced by our dear President we have received 161,000 pupils back to school. That is the impact of free education,” Southern Province Education Officer Oliver Kambuli announced.

In July 2024, it was reported that approximately two million extra children are now enrolled in full time education as a result of the President’s free education policy. During his National Values address last month, President Hichilema paid tribute to Dorothy Kamanisha, a 42-year-old from Solwezi who has gone back to school in grade nine.

The Livingstone conference, which was hosted by the Head Teachers Association in association with the British Council, was heralded as a success by organisers.

“The major part of our activity is to make the school leaders not only head teachers but the school leaders in the schools to work in a very organised manner and be able to give fair judgment on cases to do with the members of staff in their schools,” Wallace Kanchele, National Dean of the Head Teachers Association.  

Dr Cornelius Chipoma, British Council Education Advisor said, “We are close to having oriented 1,000 school leaders. No this is all because of the support we as British Council are receiving from the United Kingdom government.