GOVERNMENT ON RIGHT TRAJECTORY, SAYS PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
September 8, 2023
LUSAKA – PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says the New Dawn government has continued to build on gains made in the education, health as well as water and sanitation sectors of the economy.
President Hichilema said his government is also addressing vulnerability and inequality among the people.
Speaking when he officially opened the 3rd Session of the 13th National Assembly at Parliament Buildings in Lusaka this morning, President Hichilema said the free education policy has created opportunities for all Citizens to access education.
“To avoid compromising the quality of education, government has continued to increase learning spaces. The construction of 149 secondary schools across the country has since been completed and all the schools are now operational,” he said.
And The Head of State said that in addition, 132 early childhood and 61 secondary schools are at various levels of completion.
He also said that government has continued to procure desks through various forms of financing, such as the constituency development fund.
“As at July 2023, a total number of 373,848 desks had been procured, out of which 353,120 were procured through the CDF about 747,696 pupils are now learning while seated on desks,” he said.
President Hichilema said unlike before, all these desks are being produced locally by local citizens across the country and that this is creating the much needed jobs and saving on foreign exchange.
The President said teachers are a critical component in the development of the nation and that in this regard, government will this year, recruit 4,500 teachers to further reduce the teacher deficit in schools.
“To equip our children with lifelong and equitable quality education, government is placing equal emphasis on building practical skills, entrepreneurship and qualifications required by industry,’ He said.
President Hichilema also said that enrolments in skills training centres have increased due to the policy measures being implemented by government and that in 2022, 76,500 were enrolled in various fields, in TEVET institutions and youth resource centres.
He said the number has risen to 86,700 in 2023 and that out of those enrolled in the skills development programmes, about 47,000 have been sponsored at the local level across the country under the constituency development fund.
President Hichilema also said that government, this year, reintroduced meal allowances to improve the welfare of students in universities and as a result, 32,000 students are benefiting from this policy decision.