Government has engaged a team of experts to study the process of re-introducing mandatory Zambia National Service (ZNS) skills training for school leavers.
Youth and Sport Minister, Chishimba Kambwili said the process of re-introducing the mandatory training would not be rushed as it needed to be handled cautiously.
“We want to avoid doing things hurriedly, that is why we have engaged a team of experts or consultants to help us with the process,” Mr Kambwili said.
The re-introduction of the ZNS mandatory training for youths will start with the 2013 Grade 12 school leavers.
About K100 billion had been allocated for the refurbishment of ZNS infrastructure that would host the youth.
Mr Kambwili said his ministry had already issued a Cabinet memorandum for Cabinet approval.
A team of experts would fine-tune all aspects of re-introducing the ZNS training.
The training was aimed at equipping youths with survival skills.
The programme would not have an intense military component that was undertaken during the UNIP Government.
Trainees would be expected to spend 18 months at the ZNS camps before enrolling for further education in tertiary institutions.
The last crop of school leavers to undergo ZNS training during the UNIP era was in 1980.
Mr Kambwili said youths would receive training in various fields including carpentry, welding, and automotive mechanics.
The minister said the move was aimed at equipping school leavers with various skills to cope with life’s challenges and use them for entrepreneurship.
He said this would assist in addressing unemployment levels in the country.
Mr Kambwili expressed confidence that the skills training programme would act as an empowering tool for the youth across the country.
[Times of Zambia]
A true CNP why re introduce failed policies,completely useless bwana constable train more thugs and they will turn against you just wait.
Full disclosure, I have not yet read what exactly that training will be however I think it’s has many merits. For instance, the training will likely equip them with skills and real world experiences that they can tap when they leave service. Arguably, they will also develop a positive work ethic through the experience. Has it dawned on you that maybe these these “thugs” perhaps became what they are because they had no structure and a future wrought with negative instances because they lacked, skills, discipline, opportunity and skills that could most likely help them better themselves? Obviously like any gov. there’s bound to be problems with implementation, thats a given however, it think there is abundance of ways that this will help the country in the long run.
Could work if all military style brainwashing is done away with…its all about skills isnt?!
I surely need to get clear objective for this activity before i can release my son. wat skills training? wat we need is to create systems because we already have so many skilled youths who are unemployed. for instance, those in the welding industry along Kalingalinga, carpentry and upholstery in Mandevu and Buseko. Government needs to provide them with appropriate working environment, tools or the like. maybe loans to purchase that. or craete a factory with all machinery where the youths can go to operate from. what about making it even national and employ the said items in a state of the art level and begin to even export. why should government buy school furniture from shonga steel and others when we have youths that simply need boosting to do that. having said that, i rest my case!
this kambwili is hopeless! only a few questions for this monkey,who is going to fund the programme? 18 months of training so at a certain point we will have 2 intakes? does he know the number of school leavers we have every year (about 70,000),he should go tell that to the family tree who can entertain his stupid lies.
A good thing to do.But please it shouldn’t be mandatory.Let it be optional…i can`t imagine going through all that during the time i completed school especially with a statement of results screaming distinctions.Those skills could be learnt in a tertially institution.
Oh please for Christ’s Sake…why go back to what failed to work????en why should it be mandatory?let those that wish to enroll do so and allow others pupils to make their own decisions…This will affect all other sectors so it then means these pupils would only go to universities after spending 18months at ZNS…mmhhmm not too good!
kambwili mudala! thinking like a complete tool, A garden hoe if i may say. 18 months is too long a period to teach these kids ‘surviving skills’,unless of course its not mandatory. Then again comes the question of funding, there many other sectors that need attention, than waste big money annually on bullshit like zns training. creating more spaces at our learning institution would be a better option if u ask me. awe zed leaders mwe, tanaka !!!
18 months is too long
A word of caution, though. A limited amount of military training [defence and security skills] will help in discipline – otherwise there might be chaos and anarchy. Recall, too, that under the previous programme, candidates who qualified for tertiary education were exempt from compalsory 18 months skills training – they were allowed tp proceed to university and colleges soon after passing-in from military training!
Kambili mudala! Thinking like a complete tool, A garden hoe to be precise! Money laundering schemes if u ask me. Pump more money into our education system and create more spaces at the higher leaning institutions, not having our young stars waste 18 months on God knows what. ‘surviving skills’ my a$$
What is the outcome of the of this madatory ZNS ‘skills’ training. I think this is a miplaced policy. If i was in government, i would rather first on focus on retention of skills within Zambia…
I suppose people like GBM are positionong themselves to supply beans, sugar, tea, coffee, etc… It is a big business indeed. More money in their pockets!!!
IF IT WASN’T FOR HAKAINDE’S MISS MANAGEMENT OF PRIVITAZATION, MOST OUR YOUTHS COULD HAVE JOBS, HAKAINDE IS VERY SELFISH. HE MILKED OUR COMPANIES AND MADE HIMSELF MR RICH, HE DID NOT CARE PEOPLE DIED OUT HANGER, FOR HIM WHAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS HIS POCKET AND STOMACH. NO ZAMBIAN SHOULD TAKE HAKAINDE SERRIOUS.
you want to blame HH for your misery you foool
Actually WE all share the blame. We recycle politicians, seemingly forgetting that most of them were in the other party just months ago or so. Experience matters but that leaves us open to the danger of repeating the same failed policies of before, repackaged or forcefully implemented. unfortunately some comments here are divisive and offer no real solution. I see lot’s of typos but that kind of besides the point, just thought to mention it. We overseas have had the opportunity to see a different way in the countries we now reside and some have opted to stay permanently or return to Zambia. All are free to decide, but we ought to think about why we have “failed policies” be it this or any others out there. Complaining is not enough, what shall we do to fix this country of ours?
They r running out of ideas so fast. Soon we will be circumcising babies just after birth, and they will call that “job creation for nurses n doctors”
PF hooligans think with your heads and not butts. Who is going to teach these skills? Just invest in more technical and vocational training institutes. Build three in each province. Dumping thousands of school leavers in the bush won’t produce carpenters, machinists, horticulturists etc. It is pure idio.cy and Stu.pidity from these Pathetic Fools once again.
18 months yachilamo imwe!!
Why make it mandatory??
we will see if their children will also go to these concentration camps.
Why should it be mandatory in a democratic country? Why should government embark on something new when existing schools are lacking in many things?
The government should equip primary and secondary with desks, books, computers, equipments for TD, wood/metal work, and chemical laboratory equipment so as to have quality pupils and school leavers. Furthermore, schools in Zambia have dilapidated or none existent sporting facilities.
vaupuba ivi atase..
Why cant the PF focus on the school leavers that are already in the streets and doing nothing? these are the people that voted for them with the hope of a better future. surprisingly, this group is not being addressed but children who are dependents and not in a crisis.
YOU ARE LEAVING SKILL SUCH AS THATCHING (GRASS ROOFING), PLUMBING, FLOOR AND WALL TILING, LANDSCAPING, ETC. THATCHING HOUSES IN ZAMBIA MUST BE COMMERCIALISED JUST AS OTHER SKILLS.
This will not solve the problem of unemployement. It will just be another waste of resources. Chipimo’s suggestions on the creation of jobs make more sense.
If Hon. Kambwili’s thinking is an indicator of PF government thinking then Zambia is in troubled waters already. Mandatory is not the way to go, voluntary yes and moreover the country is awash with miliions upon millions of school leavers roaming the streets with no hope of a job. These should be the primary target for skills training and again on voluntary basis. This is not a silver bullet solution to unrmployment. This idea is not a walk in the park it is very costly and Zambia cannot afford and later on sustain this with the current economic status obtaing. Hon. Kambwili and your team research and read even comments posted here maybe you may get some ideas on how to undertake this.
They should start with thier childred and their grand children first then we will follow if it works
Why should a Grade 12 school leaver BE FORCED to learn carpentry, welding, or auto mechanics?
Surely it’s the ones who DON”T leave Grade 12 that should learn these kinds of skills.
What do people who leave grade 12 do? Sitting in cafes blogging waiting for lunch? There are no white collar jobs for grade 12s anymore unless you get it through bribery or nepotism. Kambwili’s plan, though too ambitious, is better than doing nothing with your biology, physics and chemistry.
BA FIKALA, ALL THE MONIES WILL B FINISHED BY THE SO CALLED TEAM OF EXPERTS, OCCUPIED BY THEIR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES AND THEN AT THE END THEY WILL ABORT THE PROGRAMME. ZAMBIA WE SHALL NEVER DEVELOP WITH THE MENTALITY WE HAVE. EVERYTHING FINISHES WITH FEASIBILITY STUDIES. GOD COME TO HELP US.
UPND levels of hate and bitterness is very worrying. This tribal party will divide us with name calling and insults.
Come on you empty head! Just tell us about the merits or demerits of the programme. Seems you know nothing!
18 months? this means the 2014 grade 12 intake will find the 2013 group still at the camps? This looks like it has failed before it starts -an absolute abortion.
Though I am a PF supporter, on this one I will not stand with them! My 15 year old daughter, who is doing pure sciences i.e. physics, chemistry, biology & GMD, has ambition of becoming a doctor and is not going for national service at all! My little one is smart, focused and determined and she definately does not need a “survival skills” training. I will be evacuating her to Namibia into a school of medicine as soon as she is done with her ‘o’ levels, I will get her into A levels in Namibia and then university! National Service should be for youths who have finished grade 12 with mediocre results or cannot afford college. Currently the streets are full of these youths who would like to go to national service, those should be the target. IWE KAMBWILI, NOT COMPULSORY NONSENSE, NO!
This casts doubts on the EDUCATION POLICY to be implemented by the PF regime.Is it lack of understanding or what?Under the ministry of Education, Science Technology, Vocational Training and Early Childhood, I hope this is correctly stated, we have already vocational and Entreprenuership training being conducted.Really if the idea is skills training, why not equip the many trades and skills training centres and institutes dotted accross the country? To me this is empty.One aspect that is worth mentioning is the dictatorial attitude that is attached to these pronouncements.I think Mr.Kambili needs to be told that he cannot impose things on people more so if such things are associated with abuse.He must remember that he is addressing parents who actually experienced the abuse of the ZNS.
AM NOT GOING….. FOR WHAT????
what is lacking in zambia is employment and not skilled manpower .expect more aids,pregnances,cholera etc
This guy is unmindful of these realities.Why place such responsibilities to someone who doesnt have a caring attitude?
Please why should we go back to failed policies of the UNIP era?has Mr Kambili and his team carried out an evaluation to establish why the ZNS program was abandoned under the UNIP era in 1980? Times have changed what obtained in the period 1970 to 1980 is totally different from the current environment we are living in.Leaders can no longer use approaches used in the 1970s or 1980s to deal with challenges prevailing in 2001 era.We need new thinking that is relevant to prevailing challenges.You can not do same thing in the same way and expect to develop.MR.KAMBWILI and his ZNS PASSION is a recipe for disaster.
stupid idea, just build new colleges and universities and we can export the excess graduates and earn forex. Your ideas Kambwili are ancient and will just create hardships for our kids.
My son will only be 15 when he finishes grade twelve and i can afford to send him to university there after , why should he be subjected to mandatory ZNS training when he can go straight to study medicine , which has always been his dream …..what to do what to do ???
Hon Kambwili, you first need to absorb all the youths in streets in the coming three years, target them for this programme, we just had youths who wanted to join the army who were not taken on.create more trade schools and increase on the enrolment in colleges and Universities thats where you put all the money you have the. The ZNS you are talking about was there for a purpose of defending the country that time we were at War with the surrounding neighbouring countries Rhodesia and South Africa. Engaging experts is just another sheer waste of money you guys. We have no teachers , nurses in the rural areas create a deliberate policy of increasing yearly intakes in the colleges build more schools in the rural areas then you will absorb the youths in the streeet
“tikaimbe… tikaimbe… ku kafue… tikaimbe ba sir eeehh… tikaimbe… tikaimbe…. ku kalenda…. tikaimbe ba sir eeehh… oooh ba sir.. te milimo iya tuleta….. ba sir.. lisomo ba sir eeehh.”
welcome back national service and please do not do away with military training as that will instill some form of dicipline in our naughty children. thanks pf.
18 months of mandatory training? This is insane. This should be optional. Countries are spending more time educating young people with ICT skills and you want to equip all young people wielding and carpentry. If you have no good ideas as a govt, just sit in offices, drink tea and gossip, while you get paid, instead of ruining future generations.
Not BUFFOON Kambwili again; what team of experts do you really need them to tell you that its too expensive and outdated. Greece and Italy had these things where are they now on the streets.
Seriously Kambwili, wake up you might be dreaming.
This PF govnmt is UNIP govnmt in disguise. Instead of improving and expanding the Trades Institutes we have they are wasting time with what partly put UNIP out of power! I hope u have really given experts to look at it not the cadres who need to go back to school. How do some brains work! A person who is supposed to go to a University to first go and learn Carpentry!
Its hard to comment on a stupid topic.This is utter nonsense from pf.It just cant work.18 months is half a degree period in South Africa!So it means Zambian kids will be two years behind their S.A peers.This is a non starter.GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.
I’m so ashemed to be a zambian. Why should it mandatory when we are in democratic country. Besides thats an old system of governance. You wanna go back to the use of coins when our friends are now in using credit cards. What is wrong with this country? Lesson learnt to all you voters dont put grand parents in power.
what a lot of rubbish..PF would not be in office today if they made this nonsense as an election promise. Y start rolling years back to the do as i say era of UNIP and Super Ken when zambia was ruled with an iron fist..Sata would love the idea if the colonial master just decide to reappear at his breakfast table in Sata and ask him to go back to being a policeman???..i don’t think so..zambia is demoracratic now “freedom of choice” for everyone and must guard this jealously..what makes PF think ZNS is the solution to unemployment? Sata is spending a lot of time with Super Ken..like they say you can take someone from the busy to town but you cannot take the busy out of his head..Sata moved from UNIP but he is still a hardcore UNIPIST and torch bearer of their weird ideologies..
You are wrong.Big Economies are thinking in the same lines,though the approach may be different.Go to India or China you will support PF.You dont need adegree to manufacture mats from Reeds,or Cups from soil.How many of us are going to China to buy tiles made by grade seveb in China shame on you Graduates.Wake up
I thought they would say that college/University will be starting 3 months after completing High school. That will be more realistic
Me my son won’t go for ZNS I will send him to Europe , namibia or Southafrica for school so that those 18months or close to (2ears) he can use it towards his school than waste it in the bush
He will not be allowed to get the certificate.In
America that was done regardless of status
In Switzerland they have a similar program though students come from homes.You can only be admitted into UNI once you complete the program.I met some of these students at Buhler in Uzwii they can design components Industrial use.
Weldone PF ,youths need practical still.Us graduates have failed.I remember those who had been trained by the Mines via Trade schools were better than some of the Graduates from UNZA.
You are wrong.Big Economies are thinking in the same lines,though the approach may be different.Go to India or China you will support PF.You dont need adegree to manufacture mats from Reeds,or Cups from soil.How many of us are going to China to buy tiles made by grade seven in China shame on you Graduates.Wake up.I support this program.Weldone PF Govt.
We need the military part too we can never be too careful we have crazy neighbors, let the people who are not informed argue just do it minister tukakumana mu army.,
These are crazy and failed ideas . During the Kaunda regime 90 percent of the people that attended national service were able to get admitted to colleges and universities. The situation is different now and chances are that by end of 2014 we will have thousands of unemployed youth with gun handling skills!!!
nakana i wont go there
There you are Hon. Kambwila you can use the postings from bloggers on LT to analyse your intentions. It is a total flop. What do you do with Grade 9 school leavers (do not want to call them drop outs) and later on grade 7 school school leavers? Do you have plans for these? Voluntary and not compulsory. ZAMBIA DOES NOT HAVE RESOURCES FOR THIS VENTURE. It is just too costly. This country lacks priorities