One of the Universities under construction.
By STEVEN MVULA
PRESIDENT Sata has revealed that Government has released a K320.2 million for the various infrastructure works of secondary and basic schools.
He has also noted that last year 4,500 teachers were employed and deployed countrywide.
Some of the money for infrastructure development in the education sector is for the completion of construction of 52 secondary schools in various parts of Zambia.
The funding is also for upgrading of 220 strategically located basic schools into secondary schools.
President Sata disclosed this yesterday in a posting on his Facebook page.
He also notes that construction of various universities and colleges started last year and that works will continue this year.
Chalimbana National In-service Teachers College, Kwame Nkrumah College of Education and Copperbelt College of Education were transformed into universities in 2013.
The President said construction works will continue at Kwame Nkrumah and Mukuba universities.
The construction of the Robert Kapasa Makasa University for Science and Technology will also continue.
President Sata said the building of Palabana University for Livestock Sciences which started in 2013 will continue and that construction of the Paul Mushindo University has started.
He says that also on the cards this year is the King Lewanika University at Namushakende in Western Province and Luapula University in Mansa for which the procurement process for designs has begun.
“During this year, our Government will also commence the construction of three university colleges as follows: University College of Mathematics and Sciences in Nalolo district (Western Province); University College of Applied Arts in Katete district (Eastern Province); and University College of Technology (North-Western Province),” President Sata said.
He explained that the construction of the universities will broaden opportunities of access to higher education and help decongest Zambia’s two public universities.
“It should be noted that our Government’s aim is to build a university in each province,” President Sata said.
On the employment of 4,500 teachers, he said that the Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces each received 500 teachers.
Southern Province got 459, Northern Province 437, Eastern and Central provinces 441 each and Luapula, North-Western and Western provinces 434 each.