The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has cautiously embraced the introduction of educational lessons by the Ministry of Education in Zambia via TV but warned that the current ZESCO load shedding schedule is a threat to smooth implementation of this initiative.
The lessons are scheduled to be broadcast on national television – Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation television (ZNBC TV) saying the announcement is progressive, welcome and must be supported.
NAQEZ Executive Director Aaron Chansa told the Zambian Business Times- ZBT in a statement on April 9, 2020 that this will help to mitigate the collosal academic damage done by closure of learning institutions due to the Corona virus – COVID 19 pandemic.
NAQEZ is however of a strong view that this TV initiative will only cater for less than 40% of the school going population as the majority of Zambian citizens live in rural areas without TV sets and no electrical power, hence with the TV educational programs, it would be discriminatory and extremely unfair to rural children who cannot access television services.
Unless we have another support initiative on how those without TV sets will be able to get access, a good number of learners especially in rural areas will have no access to these learning programs.
“As if lack of television sets is not bad enough,the increased electricity load shedding by ZESCO will, without any doubt,disable the good initiative by the Ministry of General Education” He added.
Chansa has since called on ZESCO to manage this loadshedding better and help some of the young people continue learning in homes. Load shedding hours can cover all the time that education program is running, so there is need for coordinated efforts.
NAQEZ further appealed to the Ministry of General Education to introduce educational programs using provincially based radio stations and community radio stations to cater for learners coming from economically disadvantaged households in villages. Adding to that, all children have a right to learn regardless of where they are.
Chansa has also implored all school going children in Zambia to desist from all destructive activities and get glued to books, educational television and possibly education radio stations for academic lessons as they hold the key to their own destinies.
