The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has called for increased budgetary allocation to the Education sector in the 2021 National budget.
Organization Executive Director George Hamusunga told Money FM News that the 12.4% that was allocated in the 2020 budget to the Education and Skills Sector is below the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and Cairo Protocols recommendation.
Mr. Hamusunga said it is sad that the 2020 budget for Youth and Adult Literacy allocation reduced by 30% despite it being a major strategy to ensure that the youth and adults who fall out of school stay functionally literate and effectively contribute to national development.
“The reduced budget has made the response to interventions worse in the area of literacy in Zambia during this period of COVID 19 pandemic. Therefore, we take this opportunity to call upon the government through Ministry of Finance to increase funding for the 2021 national budget allocation.”
“The 12.4% that was allocated in the 2020 budget to the Education and Skills Sector is way below the SADC and Cairo Protocols recommendation. The two protocols which Zambia is a part, stipulate that at least a minimum of 20% of the National Budget should be allocated to the education sector,” Mr. Hamusunga said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hamusunga observed that Literacy skills are critical in fostering one’s personal development and financial income as learning, interactions, engagements, businesses, marketing and selling are now mostly being done online.
He stated that as Zambia joins the rest of the globe in commemorating World Literacy Day which falls on 8th September annually, it is important for government and stakeholders to analyze the role of educators, and formulate effective policies, systems, governance and measures that can support the continuity of learning during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Mr. Hamusunga said this year’s theme “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond” points to the need for continuity of literacy teaching amidst the pandemic, adding that COVID-19 has brought a lot of challenges in the education sector, which include the closure of schools.
He stressed the need to promote alternative modes of literacy learning to enable most people to read and write even during COVID 19 pandemic and beyond because the impact of the school closure on the country’s literacy levels has been huge.
“In order for this years’ theme to be a reality, it is important for the government and all stakeholders to analyze the role of educators, as well as formulate effective policies, systems, governance and measures that can support the continuity of learning during the COVID 19 pandemic.”
“The main solution being the urgent re-opening of schools in order to give children an opportunity to benefit from literacy lessons, because illiteracy levels have obviously been worsened by the prolonged closure of schools due to COVID 19 pandemic. Literacy skills are critical in fostering one’s personal development and financial income as learning, interactions, engagements, businesses, marketing and selling are now mostly being done online,” he stated.
He further said World Literacy Day highlights the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.
Mr. Hamusunga added that reading and writing are critical to individuals, communities and society at large and the country cannot do without reading, especially now that all subjects are dependent on one’s ability to read in the age of information technology.