The Zambia National Education Coalition says Production Units are a good practice to supplement what government gives to public schools but should not be used as a source of funding to the learning institutions.

Coalition Executive Director George Hamusunga told Money FM News in an interview that government is responsible for the provision of hundred percent funding through budget support to schools.
Mr. Hamusunga said while some schools can do well in Lusaka in terms of finding market for their vegetables, rural schools may not have available market for them to sale at a profit and finance the schools.

“It is not good for us to think that production unit can be a source of funding for public schools. If government policy has not changed, government is responsible for the provision of hundred percent funding to all schools through budget support,” Mr. Hamusunga said.
He added that production units are important but no one should believe the support from the units can run schools.

“It is a good practice to supplement on what schools should be getting from government but no one should think that production units can fund our schools without funding countrywide,” he stated.
Recently, Management at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School in Lusaka disclosed that the school production unit largely run by pupils now has the capacity to raise K94, 000 monthly.
And Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba called on other government schools to emulate Kabulonga Boys and directed them to come up with initiatives that will help finance their operations rather than rushing to increase school fees.