The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has demanded that the Ministry of Finance immediately release funds to enable the Ministry of General Education to recruit teachers.
NAQEZ Executive Director Aaron Chansa says his organization is very much aware that K11.6 billion has been allocated to education and skills development in the 2018 national budget.
Mr Chansa explains that this amount is meant to facilitate expenditure, among other things, teacher recruitment, student loans, infrastructure development and procurement of school requisites.
He states that his organization is aware that once Parliament passes the budget, it becomes law and therefore expects that this appropriation for teacher recruitment will strictly be adhered to by everyone.
Mr Chansa has charged that it is disturbing that the ministry of General Education has not yet began the process of employing and deploying new teachers with only four months remaining before the year ends.
He stressed that the country needs new teachers because statistics indicate that the Ministry losses more than 7000 teachers per year due to various factors.
Ends/SK