Community Schools and their contribution to education in Zambia
A Community School is a community based learning institution that meets the educational needs of vulnerable children especially orphans and girls. The management and organization of the schools lies in the hands of the community. The Community School movement in Zambia strives to attain the seven year primary education offered in formal education in four years. Community Schools do not have uniforms and school fees. The majority of the teachers in Community Schools are formally trained and are identified and chosen by the community to help teach at the Community School as volunteers. They use whatever building or spaces they find to conduct their lessons and usually have limited resources.
According to Ministry of Education School census statistics, the number of pupils in Community Schools has been correspondingly and rapidly growing since inception. For instance, in 2004 there were 227, 738 pupils in Community Schools. The number rose to 356,134 in 2005 and in 2006 there were 426,979 pupils in Community Schools. Initially there were 55 Community Schools in 1996. By the end of 2004, the number rose to 1,527 Community Schools representing 21% of the total number of schools. Furthermore, there were 2,162 Community Schools in 2005 representing 28.3% while in 2006, the number reached 2,457 representing 30.5% of the schools in the country (Chondoka 2006, Situation Analysis of Community Schools in Central Province). Community Schools provide an opportunity for children that are vulnerable and come from poverty stricken households an opportunity to attain basic education. Current indications are that there are approximately 3,000 Community Schools all over the country catering for an estimated 500,000 children. It is an undoubted fact that Community Schools are an ever-increasing source of basic education for vulnerable children in Zambia. However, despite this major contribution from Community Schools towards basic education enrolments, according to the 2005 Ministry of Education Statistical Bulletin 529,885 children of school going age (7-18 years) are out of school. |
