The Zambia National Students Union has commended the Higher Education Loans and Scholarship Board for sticking to its promise to include Palabana, Chalimbana, Kwame Nkrumah, Mukuba and Mulungushi universities on the student grants and loans.
On 21st December 2018, ZANASU, Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, and the Zambia National Education Coalition held a meeting with the Loans Board which revealed the plans by Government to include more universities on the student grants and scholarship scheme.
ZANASU Information and Publicity Secretary Assa Williey says the good gesture by government to extend the loan scheme to 1000 more students is highly commendable although they believe government can do more to ensure loans are accessed by all needy students of higher learning from both public and private universities.
Ms. Williey said Government must progressively move towards the provision of student loans and scholarships based on the need by students who come from marginalised, poor families and students living with disabilities as opposed to institution-specific.
“We believe the intention of Parliament when it enacted the HESLB Act No. 31 of 2016 was not to discriminate on students who must obtain loans but to ensure all students of higher learning from both public and private institutions get an equal opportunity to access these loans”, she added.
Ms. Williey said ZANASU will continue to advocate and lobby for increased funding for higher education.
“We shall therefore honour an invitation from the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology to appear before it on Tuesday, 31st January, 2019 at 12:30 hours to interact and share its various positions on matters concerning students of higher learning. We encourage student unions from around Lusaka to attend this Committee hearing on matters which affect their members’ welfare”, Ms. Williey added.
This is the same union that wants government to set up an inquiry for privatization ( at best a witch hunt, EL and PF have no capacity to investigate the privatization process) Millions of dollars would be available for an inquiry but not loans for students which by the way should be extended to students at private universities too
Privatisation caused untold hardship on parents who lost jobs, thus failing to support students to attain higher education. We sold the mines to shubby investors who failed to run one of the best schools in the country, Mpelembe. Further, what do the mines now contribute to higher education? Nothing if not peanuts. So Students have a say on finding out what happened during privatisation.
Only property HH did not sale is UNZA and CBU. No wonder UPND chaps don’t want students to have a say on privatisation inquiry but believe me, they guy will sell CBU and UNZA if elected in power in 2036
Loans for all recognized institutions of higher learning including tracher’s colleges and technical institutes.
ZANASU has become a real voice on student matters. You have given this government a good run by first snowing your capacity to mobilise students voice but also its good you taking up national matters.
You have demonstrated real leadership guys.
Well said ZANASU. You truly speak for us all as students. Keep up the good work
Once President Lungu delivers to students and the youth, most of us who feel left out, then I don’t see why this govt won’t be allowed to continue in 2021. So we waiting for them to extend this bursary to colleges and private universities. Well done ZANASU
Student power! Keep being the voice you have become ZANASU. Let Nkandu Luo also allow Students Unions in these universities. Whats she scared of? Thank u President Lungu for directing that meeting.
am loving this ZANUSU too. first time these meaningful and result oriented are done. speak more also on national matters. guide these political parties. u got the voice we respect
Zanasu we want students who can now speak about bad governance, reforms of laws, corruption, etc in addition to what u do. reclaim the student voice that changed Zambia’s landscape during independence
Education should be free in Africa and no loans especially if you consider that these politicians who benefited from free education never create any employment for those poor souls to be able to pay back. You will end up burdening these poor students in the end.
Caleb privitazation never made anyone poor, you give us the number of those people and show us how their lives were made miserable. It’s not like the Copperbelt was made into a ghost town, in fact people or we Zambians became better after the forced failed communism Kaunda forced on us that killed our work culture and ability to be better. Now Zambians are more enterprising and enjoy many things not possible before privatization including that infrastructural development you chaps keep singing about. Without privatization you would have been the poorest depending in the volatile copper