Lusaka Girls Basic School teacher Monica Mukwanga who is living with
HIV/AIDS at the Ministry’s Health Day commemoration in Lusaka
Government has developed a new school curriculum that will enable learners to choose a career path and guidance framework on the preferred type of education for the nation.
And a study on the Zambian literacy levels has revealed that the country is placed second from the bottom out of the 15 countries in the sub region that were surveyed for three years.
Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Minister, John Phiri, said the framework provides curriculum guidelines and structures at all education levels.
Dr Phiri explained that the framework is being piloted in selected districts and schools in all the ten provinces that will be evaluated before being fully implemented in January, 2014.
He was speaking after witnessing trial lessons at David Kaunda National Technical Secondary School before launching the trialling phase of the revised school curriculum in Lusaka today.
Dr Phiri stated that the new national curriculum framework has reviewed the structure of the curriculum at all levels.
Earlier, David Kaunda National Technical Secondary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) chairperson, Martin Mwale, commended government for responding positively to concerns by parents against the current curriculum.
Mr Mwale said he is hopeful that the revised curriculum will be responsive to the needs of individual learners and equip them to contribute effectively to national development.
Meanwhile, Dr Phiri has disclosed that a study conducted by the Southern African Consortium for Measuring Education Quality (SACMEQ) survey results from 2007 to 2010 has Zambia second last out of 15 countries surveyed.
Dr Phiri explained that the results place Zambia second from the bottom out of 15 countries in the sub-region in terms of Grade 5 and 6 learners’ literacy levels.
He pointed out that the research results by the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) over the same period have almost yielded the same depressing results.
Dr Phiri added that there is evidence that the school system at Grades 7 and 9 throws out learners who have no skills to survive on their own because the current curriculum prepares learners for white collar jobs.
ZANIS
Sounds good to me.I like it.
Second last?
How can Second last sound good?????
Good welcome move
Hope the teachers are up to the task.
There’s nothing that is going to improve since the fossils you elect are more interested in politics for its own sake rather than service delivery. All the money between now and 2016 will be spent on bribing opposition MPs, stu.pid bye elections , and a bloated bureacracy full of ill qualified sycophants!
You need to be educated. You have too much ignorance
@Goncalves. Having read your second comment on this blogg, I strongly recommend that you to be re-educated under the new curriculum
HH, Joe and Bantustan Nyandule, stop thinking in compartments. The public money your politicians are wasting on politiking and unbudgeted for position is the same money that is supposed to be spent on health , education and infrastructure. This is why despite been a so called middle income Zambia has a very low score on the Human Development Index. Lower than low income countries like Tanzania and Uganda. You have the money but you spend it on the wrong things. I will continue to point out this stuff …..and I don’t give a damn about your name calling!
IT IS PF AND SATA WHO ARE GOING TO DRIVE OUR COUNTRY FORWARD. THEY SEEM TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT CLEARING/MESS THE BACKLOG LEFT BY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS.
@Peter, Mess left by previous governments of which he was a part. He even campaign heavily to for a Third term for his corrupt friend Chiluba! Some of you have very short memories of a housefly!
#4 you re the worst sycophant who sees nothing good in any move that the Govt takes. Go hang and just wait for 2016!!
It will be before 2016! Your breadwinner and tribal warlord will soon be relieved off his duties on planet earth!
”He was speaking after witnessing trial lessons at David Kaunda National Technical Secondary School before launching the trialling phase of the revised school curriculum in Lusaka today”
THIS FOOL WANTS TO MESS WITH MY FORMER SCHOOL (DK) WHICH HAS PRODUCED A LOT OF INTELLECTS WHO ARE A BIT ABOVE AVERAGE IN TERMS OF INTELLECTIAL CAPACITY.
THINGS SHOULD BE LEFT THE WAY THEY ARE!!! NO MEANS WILL EVER MAKE A BLACK PERSON MORE INTELLIGENT.
My friend every blessing ignored becomes a curse, here is the blessing in your face, the ability to impart knowledge and educate others with the hope and view of building a brighter future for our country. I am not sure if what you are trying to display is simple immaturity or plane hatred for yourself, your kind and country. You are ignoring the blessing you have and it is turning into a curse because you shan’t ever be able help anyone despite all your good intentions. So please change now.
True education is Torah study and the fear of God.
Good move….this is a right direction.We have very dull chaps and its good the Government has seen this and i can see from the positings on this blog.
l have observed dullness of the highest order in these that are critsizing goverment in everything.
You wonder what type of brains they have and whom they think they can convice.
We are observing keenly and are seeing how stupid are these on the opposition.
l tell u fools ,you do not deserve to represent us. Better pf than u plastics.
govnt should equip schools with workshop equipment, woodwork,metalwork,bricklaying,carpentry , plumbing and many more and train industrial arts teachers as well, it can be done as prof. chirwa will do.
I ve been following Minister Phiri for sometime now. I listened to his speech at DMI St Eugene University graduation ceremony last year. My impression is that the man appears passionate on his field. He also seems very knowledgeable about his portfolio. This is one pick Sata hit the nail on the head. Please don’t transfer him.
I know my father went through colonial education but each time I look at his exercise books in Geography, Mathematics, History Biology from Form 1 to Form Five Iam just amazed at the wealth of information therein. ZEC doesnt come close. However, I notice a lot Euro-centricism. Can we create a curriculum that creates self-pride or afrocentricism in our graduates? and also produces very well informed graduates?
Indeed a good education creates individuals who are proud of who they are and not copycats. It also makes citzens have a lot of initiative
Corruption is a bad virus. We have schools already in existance but occupied by wrong people, people who were suppose to be at NIPA, HONE or ZIT today are at Kabwe trades Chisamba farm college, Lusaka trades etc. Mr. Phiri you have a point hope you will fufill what you have said.
Send me a digital copy I want to analyse that curriculum with methods of philosophy of education, if it’s want the Zambian pupils need for the future to be reasonable citizens
Where can one get hold of the new curriculum, to judge it on its merit? Let’s rather do that than hurl insults around.
that new curriculum is welcome especially if it is a zambianized in nature. well done DR. Phiri. go forward and never listen to destroyers who only dream of criticism day in and day out. we shall continue supporting you. we don’t want lazy people this time around neither do we want politics of insults.