Success Stories

ZATEC

For quite some time, one had to be in a college for two years under the Zambia Education Basic Course (ZEBC) with a provision a four weeks teaching practice.

However, from 1998, ZATEC came into being to replace the ZEBC, as a pilot programme in only three colleges namely; Kitwe Teachers’ Training College (KTTC), Mufulira Teachers’ Training College (MTTC) and Solwezi Teachers’ Training College (STTC). Two years later, ZATEC spread into all Basic Education Teachers’ Training Colleges. The birth of ZATEC was necessitated by the shortage school teaching staff.

ZATEC students were in the college for one year on the bench and the second year was for teaching practice which was referred to as school experience. The school experience was mostly done in the rural schools.

During the first year on the bench, the students would do six study areas as follows:

1. Education Studies (ES)
2. Literacy & Languages Education (LLE)
3. Mathematics & Science Education (MSE)
4. Social, Spiritual and Moral Education (SSME)
5. Expressive Art (EA)
6. Technology Studies (TS)

To qualify for teaching practice, the students are required in eleven assignments before they are allowed to sit for the examination in the above six study areas. The assignments are set by the college lecturers in the various study areas while the examination is set by the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ). If a student failed in one or two study areas, they would be referred and hence, not proceed for school experience until they had passed the failed subject at the end of the following year. If one failed in three or more than three courses was deemed to have failed and would thus be required to repeat the whole afresh.

During school experience, they had to do the following:

1. Teaching Practice (TP)
2. Write the Area of Curriculum Strength (ACS)
3. Write Portfolio (WP)

In Addition, they were observed by mentors and college lecturers. They were also expected to write some assignment contained in the ZATEC modules. After passing the above three activities, they would then certified by the Examination Council of Zambia as qualified teachers.

 Starting the year 2008, the students will be expected to be on the bench for five terms with the second term in the second year for teaching practice. However, they are expected to write a promotion examination after the first year.