• Access to quality education cannot be achieved if funding to the education sector keeps reducing.
• In this era of COVID 19, more resources are needed to build more classes and buy more desks.
• Education is a fundamental human right that should be accessible by every child.
Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has observed that access to quality education by all children has worsened due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commenting on this Year’s commemoration of the Day of the African Child which falls today, 16th June, 2021, ZANEC Executive Director George Hamusunga noted that the number of out of school children has also increased due to the long closure of schools in 2020 in view of the pandemic.
Mr. Hamusunga however said the provision of quality education amidst the pandemic is not cheap, as delivery of quality education will require increased budgetary allocations to the education sector.
He further said it is important that every child has access to quality education in Africa, including Zambia which is a signatory to the African Charter on the Rights of the Child, stating that Education is a fundamental human right that should be accessible by every child regardless of the gender, color, tribe, race and ability.
“It is ZANEC’s view that access to quality education cannot be achieved if funding to the education sector keeps reducing. Especially in this era of COVID 19, more resources are needed to build more classes and buy more desks that would allow for social distancing, deploy more teachers to allow for learning in small groups, purchase of prevention materials such as washing soaps, sanitizers, hand washing basins, and masks for vulnerable learners.”
“More important also, we call for more innovative but safer ways to ensure continued learning for our Learners with Special Education Needs who are more affected,” Mr. Hamusunga said.
He further reiterated the need not to close schools prematurely and called for tightened COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures in learning institutions.
“A lot more needs to be done to sustain learning in our schools. We once again emphasize that schools should not close prematurely. Instead, it is important to tighten the COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures in our schools for learning to continue,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hamusunga stressed the need to reflect on the gains that have been made and challenges faced since the adoption of the Agenda 2040, whose main objective is to have an Africa fit for children and restore the dignity of the African child through assessing the achievements and challenges faced towards the effective implementation of the African Children’s Charter.

He said the Day of the African Child celebrates the children of Africa and calls for serious introspection and commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges facing children across the continent.
“ZANEC is pleased to join the rest of the world in commemorating the Day of the African Child which falls today, the 16th of June, 2021. This day was instituted in memory of the 16th June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa. At that time, students marched in protest against the poor quality of education they received and demanded to be taught in their languages.”
“Section 6 of the African Charter continental framework for advancing children’s rights and aspiration states that every child must benefit fully from quality education,” Mr. Hamusunga explained.
This year’s Day of the African Child is being commemorated under the theme; 30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children.