Review of the Ministry of Education Sector Plan Zambia

In 2003 Norway signed a MOU with Zambia and seven other donors in support of the Ministry of Education Sector Plan (MoESP). The total donor contribution covers 29% of the cost of implementing the sector plan, which in addition to policy development and institutional reforms comprises investments in the national educational system at all levels. The Norwegian support for the period 2003-2007 amounts to NOK 427 mill. The Norwegian funding is provided to a sector pool as non-earmarked support to the overall development of the sector.

Interesting Findings

• Among the Review Team's findings we would like to highlight the following:
• GRZ's policy on Basic Education has been consistent, robust, dynamic and comprehensive but implementation has been a challenge
• Further analysis of basic education challenges, financial implications, strategic interventions, capacity-strengthening needs, and improved financial flows and delivery mechanisms, needs to be developed
• Free Primary Education has resulted in massive increase in school enrolment
• However, infrastructure and teaching materials provided are not sufficient to meet the needs
• There has been an impressive development of community schools with massive community mobilization in constructing local schools at primary level
• Quality and quantity of teachers are not in line with demand; pupil-teacher ratio far below target at primary level, with great variations between provinces
• High school enrolment has experienced an increase
• Gender and equity are still issues of concern
• Universities are lacking in infrastructure and in academic relevance to individual, community and national needs

Key challenges for the future:

• The education sector will to a large extent, depend on the success of three major government reforms: the civil service reform, the financial management reform and effective decentralization.
• The education sector will need to integrate the Government and Donor currently parallel funding systems and assure sufficient funding, in line with national poverty reduction objectives,
• The education sector will need to move towards a more devolved system of service delivery based on a strong school-community management structure, accompanied by adequate school-based financing,
• The education sector will need to develop a new approach to quality education based on an independent quality-responsible institution, and to rejuvenate the teacher development and deployment system based on community/School Board contracts, underpinned by a national agreement between Government and the teacher unions.

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