Zambia’s Education Minister Douglas Syakalima says the government will introduce a Free Education Policy Bill in parliament in February in a move aimed at giving legal protection for the government’s proposal to grant free access to education to all children.
Speaking in Lusaka on Monday, Syakalima said the legislation would “anchor free education in law” so that no learner is excluded from school because of financial barriers.
The announcement marks the latest step in the government’s push to entrench free education, a policy reintroduced in 2021 to eliminate tuition fees and reduce the cost burden on families.
The initiative led to a surge in enrolment across primary and secondary schools, prompting calls from education stakeholders for a legal framework to safeguard the policy beyond political cycles.
Syakalima said the forthcoming bill would formalise the state’s obligation to fund basic education and protect learners from any future attempts to reintroduce fees.
JN/APA