INVESTING IN CITIZENS IS NOT A LOSS – SIAKALIMA

By Lumbiwe Mwanza

THE Government has invested in free education for all citizens as an investment that has no loss, Minister of Education Douglas Siakalima has said.

Mr. Siakalima told The Scoop that the Government was looking at attaining future positive outcomes in the education system that would help develop the country.

He said that the Free Education Policy was aimed at impacting hard work on the young generation and not a situation where handouts were the order of the day among citizens.

“As the Government, we are giving free education in a bid to promote hard work. We do not want a situation where children grow up and expect handouts but we want them to gain the education needed to generate income for themselves and the nation at large,” Mr. Siakalima said.

He noted that Zambians in past regimes were tied and could not afford to take children to school but that the new outcome of the Free Education Policy would be seen as a long term result.

“A parent who has a child in school is now able to save some money for other things. Hurdles of looking for money for examinations are now over, children will write examinations meaning more gains for the country. Let the children be in school,” he said.

He said that the cadre of children being trained under the Free Education System gave the guarantee that benefits would be for all citizens in the long run and not only for parents having their children in school.

He further insisted that modalities aimed at attaining the proposed Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education for all would continue being put in place.