By Isaac Zulu
Educationist Faustina Sinyangwe has described the provision of free education as only able to provide access and not quality.
Sinyangwe, who is also former Matero member of parliament, said education in the country has been compromised as the provision of free education is not sustainable without improving staffing levels and infrastructure.
She said there should be a corresponding increase in both staffing levels and infrastructure in learning facilities to ensure sustainable provision in education.
“You cannot claim that you have introduced free education without constructing more classroom blocks in education facilities. Yes, you can claim that the UPND administration has recruited and deployed more than 30,000 teachers, but that is not enough to address the low staffing levels in schools as well as the challenge of inadequate learning materials,” Sinyangwe said. “We have noticed that even with this highly pronounced free education, the pupils are sitting on the floor owing to inadequate desks in schools. One teacher is now attending to more than 90 to 100 pupils. That in itself tells you that the provision of quality education is now compromised.”
She said the provision of education is premised on three pillars, namely; access, equity and quality, saying that what the UPND administration is now providing is access to education and not quality education.
“How can a teacher provide remedial to 70, 90 or 105 pupils? Education is premised on access, equity and quality. But what the UPND administration is providing is access to education and not equity and quality education,” Sinyangwe said.
She pointed out that government should have conducted a situational analysis about the need to introduce free education before rolling out the programme countrywide.
“They should have not rushed the introduction of free education before getting what was obtaining on the ground. They should have conducted a situation analysis to ascertain the assessment needs and pilot the provision of free education in public schools,” said Sinyangwe. “They should have piloted it in selected rural districts, peri urban areas and urban districts before rolling out the whole free education programme to all parts of the country.”
