• Government has increased funding to education from 8 percent to 14 percent.
• The EU has increased its investments in education from 7 percent to 13 percent in 2021 to 2023.
• The EU has delivered excellent results through budgetary support, Performance Assessment, Policy Dialogue and Capacity Building.

Zambia has signed two Financing Agreements with the European Union (EU), amounting to 110 Euros.

Education Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima signed on behalf of Zambia while the EU Commissioner for International Partnership, Jutta Urpilainen signed for the European Union in Brussels, at the Global Gateway High -Level event on Education.

Speaking earlier during a panel discussion, Mr. Syakalima said the President Hakainde Hichilema, declared free Education from early Childhood to Secondary school immediately he came into office, because of the realization that if government does not invest in free education, its people will not be competitive in the future.

“Government has increased funding to education from 8 percent to 14 percent and has further empowered the local communities through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by increasing it from K1.6 million to K30.6 million, most of which goes to funding education infrastructure and support to learners,” Mr. Syakalima said.

Meanwhile, the Ms. Urpilainen stated that the EU has increased its investments in education from 7 percent to 13 percent in 2021 to 2023 adding that, the Union provides over half of the global Official Development Assistance to education through different levels which include bilaterally, regionally and globally adding that it will continue to do so up to 2025.

“The EU has delivered excellent results through budgetary support, Performance Assessment, Policy Dialogue and Capacity Building,” she stated.

She said through this integrated approach, the EU is helping to strengthen education systems, adding that it also provides 58.5 percent funding to education for the much needed support in emergencies and crisis.

And during bilateral meeting with the Zambian Minister of Education, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said though education is a key ingredient for economic stability and inclusiveness, access to education is still a challenge for far too many people.

Ms. Georgieva said the role of the IMF is to help governments to implement budgets that can sustainably finance priority investments like education, even in the face of economic shocks which are more frequent and more severe over the last years.

“The IMF financial assistance requires governments, to protect spending on education, health and social support and since 2018. The IMF has an explicit requirement that social spending including on education is prioritised and secured in programmes supported by the IMF,” Ms. Georgieva stated.

Ms. Georgieva added that in all this work, the IMF partners with the European Union and together they can provide the help needed to fight the challenges of today and build a better tomorrow.

This is according to a statement issued by Hambaya Munang’andu, First Secretary Press Brussels, Belgium.