UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA in conjunction

TECHANICAL VOCATION TEACHERS COLLEDGE

NAME: PROGRAMME: COURSE: ASSIGNMENT NO: ASSIGNMENT QUESTION : Discuss the provision of school education in Zambia during federal period 1953-1963 ADDRESS PO BOX 80792 KABWE, ZAMBIA

INTRODUCTION Between 1953 and 1963 the federal influence on Zambian education increased, and Zambia of education were strengthened through the federal-state partnership concept. This phase marked the beginning of the modern federal aid program for education. Social, economic, and demographic changes after World War II placed excessive demands on local school. In too many cases, the country was unable to provide the help needed. Because there was such variation in the competency of the personnel of education, many people advocated abandoning the idea that the Zambia of education should maintain the balance of power between local and federal government, suggesting that the federal government assume leadership and control. In many ways federal involvement was encouraged in school,colleges and universities. EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA DURING FEDERAL PERIOD 1953-1963 During the federation, that is the period from 1953 to 1963, segregationist and inequitable patterns of provision for African and European children persisted. In addition, the focus was on primary education, with only the number of children in primary schools. The number in secondary schools rose from 14,000 to 61,000, in the same period there was limited secondary teacher education for Africans. Coombe (1967) has reported that through his extensive archival research in the Zambian archives, there were deliberate moves on the part of the colonial administration in northern Rhodesia in the 1930s and thereafter, to limit the provision of secondary education for Africans. The educational system inherited by Zambia at independence was accordingly underdeveloped. This forced the first president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda to launch a scathing attack on the British as quoted by Tembo (1978): As far as education is concerned, Britain's colonial record in Zambia is most criminal. Her colonizers have left the country as the most uneducated and unprepared colony of Britain's dependencies on the African content. It is, therefore, not surprising that: at independence, only 110,200 Africans had completed six years in primary schools, and only 32,000 had completed the full primary course of eight years. At the secondary level, although over 8,000 Africans were enrolled in schools, only 4,420 had passed the Junior Secondary (Form II) Examination and a mere 961 had passed the School Certificate Examination. Only 107 had graduated from university, of whom four were female (Kelly, 1991: 13).

An infusion of federal funds enabled a few people to move out of their former passive roles, but the most notable effect was an imbalance within the organization of the
education. By 1958 half of the professional staff of education were assigned to federally subsidized programs. For example, in 1958 there were only few Zambians in mathematics, the sciences, and foreign languages around the country. British Government offered financial assistance for strengthening science, mathematics, and foreign-language instruction. Thus, by 1963 the number of professional staff in those subjects rose. Because there was no federal support for English or social studies, the number of professional staff in these subjects rose only slightly, to thirty-two for all state. In spite of the massive increase in federal aid in Zambia, education actually began to lose some of their strength and prestige. In 1963 the Advisory Council on Zambia of Education pointed out that most departments Education could not fully perform the duties expressly delegated to them by state legislation because of personnel shortages. In Zambia the term was a replica of the Europeans and Americans. In particular the term began to be used in Zambia during the colonial era, when most Europeans started to employ Zambians to work as clericals, typist, office orderlies, cleaners and teachers in schools. The onset of the colonial period in the 1800s marked the beginning of the end for traditional African education. According to Fafunwa (1962) European forces, missionaries, and colonialists all came ready and willing to change existing traditions to meet their own needs and ambitions. Bhola (2000) has also argued that the modern sector of education may have dismissed the traditional culture of education out of hand, and without thought borrowed indiscriminately from the West, irrelevant ideologies, missions, and methods of adult education '. What is implied in this statement is that the current adult education curriculum in Africa is still modelled on the colonial one and as such does not serve the immediate needs of the learner in particular and the nation in general. The replacement of the traditional forms of adult education, therefore, brought about challenges to the education system in newly independent Zambia. How did these changes contributed to the white collar syndrome in the education sector? To answer this question, some historical analysis is necessary. Alexander (1971) observed that it was well known that adult education in Africa had been sadly neglected in the past. In colonial times missionaries and education administrators did not normally see the importance of continuing education.

UNESCO (1964) in its report on education in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) wrote: An education system is a result of decisions made and designs laid down by past and present governments. Kelly (1991) admits that the above statement remains as true today as when Radford and his colleagues first wrote it in their report on the future development of the education system of what was then Northern Rhodesia. Several of the concerns that beset the demand for white collar jobs were necessitated by three factors. According to the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Zambia's literacy level was estimated at 55.3 %. The report further indicated that the problem of illiteracy continued to be more prevalent among females than males. The report further indicated that about 1 in every 2 females (49.8%) was illiterate as compared to almost 2 in every 5 males (39%) of the same population (MOE, 2008). The high rate of illiteracy has seen contributed to white collar job syndrome in the education sector. In that the Government had to encourage and support all those who finished their school certificates into education system, everyone started to embrace adult education. According to Fafunwa (1962) "It was surprising to find a 35 year old doing grade 5, in that, Africans received education opportunities with two hands" The first factor was that Zambia needed many educated people to fill up positions that had or were being vacated by expatriates. Kelly (1991) explains that the colonial government had a pervasive concern about the production of an educated cadre that could not be absorbed into productive employment. Additionally, (Okafor, 1971), colonial administrators (not only in the then Northern Rhodesia but throughout Africa) generally preferred the uneducated Africans to the educated ones, who, they feared, tended to take educational planner today have their origin in events that occurred years and even decades before. In that regard, the challenges that the newly independent Zambia faced could be attributed to the education system that existed during the colonial era. The second factor was that the new government during its campaign for political independence, promised to provide more educational opportunities. A crisis of expectation was, therefore, imminent as people expected immediate delivery of more education. Thus this expectation motivated many adults to take part in adult education.

The other factor was that, apart from education being a human right, individuals themselves were keen to go to school and learn. These factors put a lot of pressure on the government to create more opportunities for learning. Indeed, the government saw this high illiteracy rate as an obstacle to economic development (Mulenga, 2000). The third factor was relevance of the adult education curriculum. Even after independence, the adult education curriculum available was based on the colonial model. This was the same curriculum which was said to be alienating students and stifling critical and creative thinking. In this curriculum, what was emphasised was the teaching of literacy where people learnt reading, writing and later simple arithmetic. As it has already been established, missionaries educated adults for liturgical purposes. Hence, the emphasis on literacy. Nafukho, et al, (2005) explain that the education system was changed to reflect the European social process. Colonial governments were interested in adult education as far as they produced literate people who were used as collaborators and workers for their colonial enterprises. It has been established that history has a long lasting influence on what happens in the future. It has been shown colonial adult education positively impacted on post independent Zambia as white collar syndrome is concerned. The first republic worked out hard to fill in the workers in all vacancies that were left by the colonial government and a number of Zambians were employed on white collar jobs, thus the syndrome increased. Conclusion We all get to a certain age when we start to think about the past and the people that we used to know. This is because of a number of factors that are borne in mind due to education we are acquire .While you can have a lot of fun or hard work during lessons, passing successfully is not a walk in the park. Education is very important because it plays a very vital role in the future of a person and the nation at large. How do you choose the best education? When it comes to get your child admission in school you always want to have the best. It's the toughest time for any parent and adult person. There are many decisive points on the basis of which you select the school you like. Therefore it is everybody s responsibility in a nation to access education.

Reference
Alexander, D. 1971. Two Sessions of University Extra-Mural Programmes in Zambias Eastern Province: An Assessment. Journal of International Congress of University Adult Education .10, (2), 19. Bhola, H.S. 2000. Inventing a Future for Adult Education in Africa . In Indabawa, S.A., Oduaran, A., Afrik,T., and Walters (eds.), The State of Adult & Continuing Education in Africa . Windhoek. Dept. of Adult Education & non-formal Education , University of Namibia. Coombe, T. 1967. The Origins of Secondary education in Zambia . African Social Research. 3, 173-205. p.12 Fafunwa, A. B. 1962. African Education and Social Dynamics. Accra. University of Ghana (Accessed on 21/4/2009 http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki / Adult _education in _Africa)

Kaunda, K.D. 1968. Humanism in Zambia and a Guide to its Implementation. Lusaka. Kelly, M. J. 1991. Education in a Declining Economy: The Case of Zambia 1975 -1986. Washington D.C. The World Bank. Mulenga, D. C. 2000. The Development and Provision of Adult Education and Literacy in Zambia. In Indabawa, S.A., Oduaran, A., Afrik, T., and Walters (eds), The State of Adult and Continuing Education in Africa. Windhoek. Department of Adult Education and Non-formal Education, University of Namibia Musakanya, V. S. 1969. Statement of Policy and Intent. In Zambia Commission forTechnical Education and Vocational Training. Lusaka.Government Printer. .Okafor, A. C. 1971. University Adult Education in Independent Zambia : The Role ofa Department of Extra-Mural Studies in national Development In International Congress of University Adult Education.10, (2),1-16.
. Tembo, L.P. 1978. The African Universities: Issues and Perspectives . Lusaka. NECZAM. UNESCO.,1964. Education in Northern Rhodesia. Report of the UNESCO Planning Mission. Lusaka. Government Printer. . Zambia Government 2008. The Development and State of the Art of Adult Learning and Education (ALE): National Report. Ministry of Educationcation