By Merlyn Mwanza
Kamfinsa member of parliament (PF) Christopher Kang’ombe says there is nothing too special about law studies that there should be a higher failure rate when compared to more complicated studies like engineering and studies for medical doctor.
And minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu said Kang’ombe was on firm grounds to make these comparisons.
Contributing to the report by the committee on Delegated Legislation which presented the report on the high failure rate at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE), which report provided that the increased enrollments had compromised the quality of law degrees.
The report indicated that while in the past there was only the University of Zambia (UNZA) providing law degree studies, now there were seven institutions providing the same, which had increased the enrollment levels to 400 students per intake and thereby putting a strain on the lecturers.
Committee chairperson Remember Mutale said the institution was not adequately funded and that the employment of more lecturers would be needed to alleviate the situation.
But Lumezi independent member of parliament Munir Zulu said he did not support the report because it was incomplete, saying patriotism should not be put aside in order to rush to adopt a report he said was incomplete.
But Kang’ombe disagreed with him saying he supported the report, and that it was worrying that the failure rate to acquire a law operating license has continued to be high.
Kang’ombe, who is a qualified engineer, said with due respect to the law profession, there were more complicated studies like for one to become a medical doctor or an engineer, but there was no such high failure rate in those professions.
He said education must be made easy for students to pass, wondering how an exam of 11 subjects has become so difficult for students to be failing this much, saying he suspected that some lecturers had their own preferred people they think should pass the exams.
Kang’ombe said unlike the other complicated studies, law was just about reciting a case that “happened in 1978”, adding that people who have been grilled for four years in their law studies in universities and have passed cannot all of a sudden become dull on account of just 11 courses.
His arguments were supported by his Shiwang’andu colleague Stephen Kampyongo who said that parents must have the confidence that they are not sending their children to fail.
And Nzovu, who was standing in for Justice Minister Malambo Haimbe, said Kang’ombe was on firm grounds and hoped that the findings would be looked at in full. He said the report was an eye opener to the government to address consistent failures at ZIALE and the administration was committed to operationalising the laws of the house.
Winding up the debate, Mutale said the reference of awaiting in the report did not mean that report was not complete but that they were waiting for the report from the Vice-President.
He urged Zulu to take a leaf “from seasoned members of parliament in that area.”
