Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education John Phiri has prodded teachers to complete their syllabi on schedule to avoid the phenomenon of extra lessons.
“We want all teachers to start finishing the syllabus because what has been happening is that teachers have not been completing the syllabus and they have been opting for tuition fees.
“This should come to an end now because this is disadvantaging pupils from poor families,” Dr Phiri said.
He said no school shall be allowed to hold tuitions on holidays or during weekends unless such tuitions will be paid for by the school and will involve all the pupils.
The minister said this when he addressed teachers from all schools in Lusaka Province yesterday.
Dr Phiri said that Government will encourage internally-arranged tuitions, which will not attract any cost to pupils.
He also warned that no school – government, private or missionary – will host learners from other schools to provide extra tuitions unless that particular school organises its own pupils using its money.
“And any teacher who will be found or seen charging for extra lessons will be disciplined accordingly,” the minister said.
Teachers are currently banned from conducting extra lessons.
Dr Phiri also announced that with immediate effect, all class teachers from grades 8 to 12 shall avail subject syllabi to all the pupils at the beginning of each term.
He said subject teachers should write the syllabus on the board for the pupils to copy or give them handouts of the syllabus if resources are available so that the pupils can know what they are supposed to cover in that particular term.
Dr Phiri directed head teachers countrywide to ensure the directive is implemented.
He also called on pupils in all schools to ensure they report to the school administration through their class monitors or prefects any teacher failing to complete the syllabus on time.
And Dr Phiri has urged teachers to take a leading role in reducing the rate of pregnancies among pupils by inculcating good values and morals in them.
He said Government is disappointed by the increasing levels of pregnancies among pupils, adding that this is coming mainly due to them lacking knowledge on how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies.
Dr Phiri said the increase in the number of pregnancies among pupils is impacting negatively on Government’s efforts of attaining the millennium development goal (MDG) three, which calls for gender equality by eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2015.
Think Tank
May 23, 2014 at 10:06 am
patu iwe uleikuta.ulemona ati tukalakulya
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May 23, 2014 at 10:07 am
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akabanda mateshi
May 23, 2014 at 10:10 am
Pay them enough money…
akabanda mateshi
May 23, 2014 at 10:12 am
They will stop if you pay them enough money..
True Zambian
May 23, 2014 at 12:12 pm
Firstly please buy computers and printers for school so that the schools can print these syllabi and give them to pupils.Secondly it looks like the minister does not have a grasp of why pupils have extra lessons. one of the reason is that there no qualified teachers for certain subjects and the only way pupils will catch up is having extra lessons.
NO SPACE FOR Black Africans in the "HOLYLAND"
May 23, 2014 at 1:01 pm
Learn
May 23, 2014 at 2:36 pm
KJK
VERB
May 23, 2014 at 3:39 pm
I thought the purpose of extra tuition was to help students that are struggling in class. Thats what it used to be unless things have changed.
modina
May 23, 2014 at 5:08 pm
The minister did not use his head to think.
Teacher
May 23, 2014 at 5:15 pm
The mnister must think of how to make available materials for the new curriculum instead of extra lessons whose purpose he doesnt understand
Bemba woman
May 23, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Katwishi mayo…
UMWAUME
May 23, 2014 at 8:48 pm
This guys do things without any consultations. Yes,some tuition centres especially those found mumakomboni were just agents for leakages and its good that they close them. However, banning tuitions is regrettable.If there are tuition centres here in UK, what is so special about Zambia not to have them? To me banning them is not a balanced view and it will backfire some time very soon. Please, consult when coming up with such declarations.
kakolwe
May 23, 2014 at 10:17 pm
BaMinister of edu, do you really research a problem b4 uttering statutes. You still have community teachers, accute understaffing, lack of materials, lack of classroom space, etc & you jump out with your thick lips to cut off the one lifeline that is producing the few good results. If I was a teacher kuti chaponoka ici!
jamakudi
May 23, 2014 at 10:20 pm
John Phiri does not understand the importance of tuitions. He just wakes up and yaps
PASTOR DO
May 24, 2014 at 9:25 am
Extra lessons are not provided because of failure to complete a syllabus but to make pupils have a clear understanding where they are lagging behind.Banning is highly retrogressive bwana minister.
Gentele
May 24, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Minister you should also protect primary school teachers who are being forced to pay K 100 for affiliation to subject Associations by DEBs office
Bana Fimo Fimo
May 25, 2014 at 9:33 am
Yakosako iyi nkani.