Let free education become law, NGO urges govt
By Mast Reporter
MAKE the free education policy law, the Movement for Restoration of Teachers Affairs (MORETA) has urged government.
MORETA executive director Dr Samuel Mbumba said in an interview with The Mast passing a law to support and enforce the free education policy would promote sustainability with all successful governments.
“As MORETA, going forward, we want to see that the free education policy becomes law so that no one tampers with this free education, which is already yielding good results,” Dr Mbumba said.
He urged members of Parliament to take the matter of transitioning the free education policy into law seriously.
Dr Mbumba was happy that the positive results recorded at the Grade 12 level could be attributed to the free education policy.
“We hope Parliament, we hope they will take this issue seriously and ensure that whoever is a sitting president maintains the free education policy, as we can witness, all of us, that the results are now proving to be better,” he said.
Dr Mbumba said MORETA would continue to partner with government and ensure quality provision of education in the country.
“We appreciate as MORETA our efforts to continue to partner with the government and make sure that we support the provision of quality education,” he said.
Dr Mbumba thanked teachers for their hard work, which had resulted in the record pass rate for Grade 12 in the just-released results.
“As MORETA Zambia, we must be very grateful to the teachers for the extraordinary performance that has set a record for this country for the Grade 12. I think this has been attributed to the good government policies that have been set up in the Ministry of Education,” he said.
Dr Mbumba said the Grade 12 results had shown and proven to this country that education was on the right trajectory, as the free education policy was actually beginning to yield results.
“Because when you see the free education policy, it is now making the learners free without thinking of where to find money to pay school fees. And this free education policy has also come up with another package of free meals,” Dr Mbumba said.
Zambia has recorded a record 70 per cent pass for the Grade 12 candidates who wrote final examinations last year.
