• The budget performed fairly good.
• The treasury has been releasing funds to schools as budgeted for.
• There was lack of commitment from the Treasury to increase the desk population in schools.

National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has observed the K18.1 billion allocated to the education sector in the 2022 national budget performed fairly well.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, NAQEZ Executive Director Aaron Chansa observed that the treasury was releasing funds to schools as budgeted for, stating that the organization did not see major challenges in terms of free education grants.
Mr. Chansa however said there were very few schools like in Kafue, Kalumbila and other areas of the country that did not receive funds for term one and two but during the end of term three, a lot of schools had received the funds.
“We have taken time to analyse the 2022 national budget in terms of education and our findings are that the budget performed fairly good. We have seen that the treasury has been releasing funds to schools as budgeted for, we have not heard or seen major challenges in terms of free education grants, that is very good.”
“Of course there were very few schools like in Kafue, Kalumbila and other areas of the country where we saw few schools not receiving funds for term one and term two but at the end of term three, a lot of schools if not all of them were receiving funds and this is very good. We saw also money meant for teacher recruitment being released, and this is also very good,” Mr. Chansa noted.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chansa observed that there was lack of commitment from the Treasury to increase the desk population in schools leading to the rise in the crisis of desks, a situation he described as disappointing.
“We had at least 1.4 million in short supply before 2022, we now have about 1.8 million plus needed for our schools and this is what government must be able to work on in 2023. Otherwise, the general performance of our national budget with regards to education is above average, its very good.”
“And we would love to encourage the Ministry to continue doing very well especially on funding to schools, it must continue to be directly to schools and also the recruitment of 4,500 teachers earmarked for 2023 must be able to be done before June so that we can beef up the numbers in our schools,” he said.
In the 2022 national budget, government allocated K18.1 billion to the education sector to increase access to education, improve the quality of education provision while promoting equal opportunities for girls, learners with disabilities and the vulnerable.
Of this amount, K1.7 billion was set aside for the recruitment of 30,000 teachers and K2.2 billion for general operations of schools across the country. Government also set aside funds to provide free education by paying school fees in all public schools for all learners at early childhood, primary and secondary education levels.
Government further allocated K694.3 million for the construction and completion of ongoing school infrastructure.