NATIONAL Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) executive director Aaron Chansa says the Ministry of General Education’s initiative to introduce an educational channel on ZNBC for conducting lessons to pupils will be discriminatory because some rural dwellers have no access to TV.
Earlier this month, General Education Minister David Mabumba announced the roll-out of the educational TV channel during the current period when schools were indefinitely closed.
But while he welcomed the initiative, Chansa cautioned that the decision would suffer setbacks due to lack of access to TV sets by some pupils, compounded by the prolonged hours of load shedding for other learners, especially in rural areas.
He added that the TV packages would also be as they were likely to exclude rural children who lacked access to broadcast services.
“On face value, the announcement is progressive, welcome and must be supported. If well done, it will help to mitigate the colossal academic damage done by closure of learning institutions due to the Coronavirus. However, we are of a strong view that this TV initiative will only cater for less than 40 per cent of the population. Sadly, the majority of our people live in rural areas without TV sets and electrical power. And with TV educational programmes only, it would be discriminatory and extremely unfair to rural children who cannot access television services,” Chansa stated in a statement.
He added that the prolonged hours of load shedding would equally negatively impact learning.
“As if lack of TV sets is not bad enough, the increased electricity load shedding hours by Zesco will, without any doubt, disable the good initiative by the Ministry of General Education. We plead with Zesco to manage this load shedding better and help some of our young people continue learning in homes. NAQEZ further pleads with the Ministry of General Education to introduce educational programmes, using provincially-based radio stations and community radio stations, to cater for poor learners in villages. All children have a right to learn regardless of where they are,” stated Chansa.
“Lastly, but very important, we implore all school-going children in Zambia to resign from all destructive activities and get glued to books, TV and possibly radio stations for academic lessons; children hold the key to their own destinies.”
7 responses
Is it bo Mutatii or Bo M. Mwanakatwe who used to say embarking on developments which dont leave anyone behind
Is paid for or free like znbc?
All developmental ideas are discriminatory to someone. This does not mean to harm anyone but to better lives but the truth is not everyone will benefit but there’s nothing government can do to change the situation in rural areas. So whether we call it discriminatory or not nothing will change.
Its a welcome and progressive idea. As stated it needs to also go on community radios for the inclusion of the many students.
Discriminatory though it may look to be, I think its the best way to go until other avenues are found, better than nothing. Why can’t you propose something so that government can work on. Because saying all should have TVs or power at the same time under this deficit is in realistic
in all fairness, the initiative is good except it should be enhanced to be more inclusive viz to those who may not have the tv facility. In future, authorities have to be seen to be more thoughtful when bringing new ideas that add value to society.
How I wish the program can also be on gotv, coz I hear it’s on topstar only other people do not have topstar but other decoders