The Constitution of Zambia provides for an education, which is overseen by the Zambia Ministry of Education. There are three levels of lower education in Zambia: primary, junior secondary, and upper secondary. As in other countries, higher education consists of colleges and universities.
Grades one through seven make up the primary education level and the level that most Zambian children complete. At the end of grade seven, students must pass examinations established by the Examination Council of Zambia. There are primary schools throughout the country. With the exception of a few private schools, primary schools are owned by the government. They are not equal, however, as public education in Zambia is underfunded, and the country's educational standards are low. Teachers work for free or for small stipends unless the school is sponsored by an overseas charity.
Primary school is free, but subsequent education required the payment of tuition.
Students who pass the primary school graduation examinations are eligible to continue to secondary school, although there are areas in Zambia that have no secondary schools. In such areas, grades eight and nine are sometimes tacked onto the end of primary school, forming what is known as a basic school. This allows students to complete grade nine and provides additional income to the primary school. Some community schools are inexpensive, and cater to students who live too far from a secondary school.
Otherwise grades eight and nine are the beginning of secondary school and known as the junior secondary level. Upon completion of grade nine, another examination is required.
The senior secondary level is made up of grades ten through twelve, and a national examination is required for graduation and the awarding of the General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is required for higher education.
Currently, there are a few universities and several technical colleges providing higher education. There are also several teacher training colleges offering two-year degree programs, as well as missionary hospitals offering nurse training programs, and Christian schools offering seminary-level programs.
Since the government began charging tuition to its public universities in the late 1990s, access to a university education has been difficult or impossible for some, although the Zambian government does provide financial aid to qualified students.
Several Christian and secular charities have been set up to support students in Zambia who wish to complete their education, and others sponsor specific schools and institutions within the country. Additionally, the government's annual expenditures on education have increased over the years.
Recommended Resources
Located in Livingstone, Zambia, the preschool and primary school serves children up to grade seven, offering the Cambridge International primary curriculum and the Zambian national curriculum. Its admissions policies, academic programs, and extracurricular activities are discussed, along with a parent's handbook and policy information. contacts, and announcements.
http://www.acaciaschool.com/
Maintained by Dynamic Youth Ministries, the Esther School is a Christian day school in Nyangwena, Zambia, focused on training orphaned and underprivileged children to serve God and their community. General information about the school is given, along with volunteer and sponsorships opportunities, campaigns, schedules, announcements, contacts, and office hours.
https://www.estherschool.org/
Independent Schools Association of Zambia
Formed by teachers, principals, superintendents, and directors of private schools in Zambia, the ISAZ was organized in 1995. Headquartered at the International School of Lusaka, the organization sponsors arts festivals, science fairs, inter-school sports activities, and teacher development programs, which are highlighted here, with schedules, a member directory, and contacts.
http://isazambia.com/
Lusaka International Community School
LICS was founded in 1993, offering an international curriculum that includes pre-primary, early learning, primary, and secondary education, as well as community improvement programs. A map shows its location in Lusaka, Zambia, and its admissions policies, guidelines and student policy information, student services, faculty contacts, and a calendar of events are included.
http://www.lics.sch.zm/
Established sometime prior to 1974, the Lusaka, Zambia school was operated privately by its founders until 1988, then by ZCCM Education Services until 1998, after which it has been operated by the Lusaka Hindu Association. Its history, year and term calendars, a schedule of activities, and administrative contacts are posted. Its history, curriculum, and admissions policies are posted, and a variety of reports, forms, and other documents are available for downloading.
http://www.nkhwazischool.org/
The independent school was established in the 1960s, and offers a nursery school, reception, primary, and secondary school curriculum at its facilities in Lusaka, Zambia. Featured is a school prospectus, admissions policies and online application, current fee structure, payment policies, and examination fees, as well as its scholarship programs, a school calendar, newsletter, and announcements.
http://rhodesparkschool.net/
A registered charity in the United Kingdom and an approved non-governmental organization in Zambia, School Club Zambia works in partnership with eight schools across three districts in Zambia, helping schools to become self-financing, promoting vocational education, literacy, and the education of girls. Volunteer opportunities, an appeal to contribute to its work, and an online shopping area are featured.
http://www.schoolclubzambia.org/
Created and maintained by LenSmart, a Lusaka Zambia-based company that develops, maintains, and supports PC software and multimedia delivery for educational institutions, as well as small to medium-sized businesses. An introduction to the company is offered, along with a directory of schools of higher education in Zambia, listing details, courses, photos, and a download section.
http://www.schoolsinzambia.com/
Organized by Vanessa Parker, who had previously been teaching as a volunteer in Livingstone, Zambia, the school, also known as Tujatane, is a primary school with more than two hundred students in Livingstone. As a registered charity in the United Kingdom, the school is fully funded by donations. The school is highlighted, including photographs, its teachers are acknowledged, as well as its academic, performing arts, health, and food programs.
http://www.tujatane.com/
Located in Lusaka, UNZA is the largest educational institution in Zambia, and a public university established in 1965. Admissions requirement and policies, the application process, tuition and fees, course registration procedures, short course schedules, and academic office updates are posted to the site, along with sessional dates, a calendar of events, notices, and administrative contacts.
https://www.unza.zm/
University of Zambia Graduate School of Business
The UNZA was established by the Zambia Parliament in 1965, and its School of Business is an online program designed to accommodate working adults, with an optional combined online-on-campus program. It admissions requirements, application process, prerequisites, and an overview of the MBA program is set forth, along with its tuition and fees, graduation requirements, academic programs, and student profiles.
https://gsb.unza.zm/
Zambia School of Biblical Studies
Begun in Kenya in 1988 by missionaries who had come to the area in 1979, the school relocated to Livingstone, Zambia in 1996, at which time it adopted its current name. A history and profile of the school is set forth, including its programs and mission, an introduction to its faculty, schedules, contacts, and photos of its student body and facilities, announcements and other resources.
http://www.zsobs.org/
