Zambia: The Opportunity to Pursue Higher Education (Part One)

By Henry Kyambalesa

The news concerning the thousands of our fellow citizens who have withdrawn from the University of Zambia where they were accepted to pursue studies because they could not get government bursaries is disgraceful. It is shameful that at a time when our beloved country is about to celebrate 50 years of independence, we cannot afford to provide bursaries and/or loans to all our fellow citizens who have worked so hard over the years to finally get a nod to pursue higher education.

In 1917, a philosopher by the name Alfred North Whitehead warned about the ill-fated destiny of any given country that does not make meaning­ful invest­ments in its peop­le’s education that is perhaps truer today than it was during his time; he said: “In the condi­tions of modern life, the rule is ab­solute … [a nation] which does not value [edu­cation] … is doo­med.”

Accessible and high-qua­lity education can, therefore, be said to be the most impor­tant invest­ment a govern­ment can make, simply because it is practically not possible for any country to succeed in the pursuit of other human endeavors without ade­quate pools of skilled and enlightened citi­zens.

In other words, education is the linchpin that holds together all the other facets and spheres of human endeavor, such as agriculture and food security, public health and sanitation, socioeconomic development, science and technology, national defence and security, environmental stewardship, peace and stability, and international relations.

In this regard, I wish to revisit my earlier press releases concerning the provision of education in Zambia, with special emphasis on the financing of higher education.

Funding of Higher Education

There is a need for the government to increase spe­nding on higher educa­tion in order to enha­nce the quality of instru­ction, basic research, and administra­tion at the Univer­sity of Zambia, the Cop­perbelt University, Mulungushi University, and at all the government-funded col­leges and institutes.

There is also a need to ensure that the train­ing to be provided in technical and vocational training insti­tutions is desig­ned to develop and enhance trainees’ technical knowl­edge and skills consistent with the chang­ing needs of commer­cial, industrial, and agricultural sectors of our country’s economy.

In other words, it is essential to craft an educational and training regime that does not only equip the citizenry with the knowledge and skills needed in developing our country, but also one that is designed to equip each and every citizen with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the global marketplace of the 21st century.

Besides, a “Loans and Scholar­ships Committee” should be constituted under the auspices of the Mini­stry of Finance to replace the Bursaries scheme, which I thought was abolished by the MMD government in 2004. The Committee should be charged with the responsi­bility of dis­burs­ing loans and scholar­ships to stu­dents and trainees in both private and public colleges and universi­ties based in Zambia as stipulated below.

1) Loans and Scholarships:  We should create a fund designed to provide loans and scholar­ships to gifted Zambian scholars, research­ers, and ap­prentices to pursue education­al and training programs within Zam­bia, and disburse the funds as follows:

(a) High-school graduates who would obtain a Division 1 should be automatically awarded scholarships upon being accepted at any Zambian college or university.

(b) High-school graduates who would not obtain a Division 1 should be granted with low-interest loans to pursue studies at Zambian colleges or universities where they would be accepted to pursue studies. And

(c) All citizens who would graduate from Zambian colleges or universities with “Distinction” should be automatically awarded scholarships to pursue higher educational and/or training programs upon securing places at accredited colleges or universities based in Zambia.

2) Loans to Working Citizens:  Low-interest government loans should also be made available to working Zambian men and women wishing to pursue further studies and/or training in order to enhance their professional and general knowledge and skills.

3) Debt Forgiveness:  To promote scholarship and academic excellence in tertiary education, loan recipients who would graduate with “Distinction” should be absolved of 75% of their debt obligations, while those who shall graduate with “merit” shall be absolved of 50% of their debt obligations.

Also, loan recipients who would decide to work in the educational, agricultural, and healthcare sectors, or in any of the branches of Zambia’s defence forces, for at least 4 years should be absolved of 100% of their debt obligations.

Part two will be published soon.

The author, Mr. Henry Kyambalesa, is a Zambian academic currently residing in the City and County of Denver in the United States of America.