The idea to reintroduce free education was meant to ensure that even the poorest in our society can send their children to school. While this initiative was applauded by many on its inception, parents who are meant to benefit from it still face a number of challenges. In my interactions with some Chibolya parents, I learnt of several challenges which include poor quality of education, lack of school places, and exploitation from teachers. One of the people I spoke to was Ronald Sampukila, a bicycle repairer who decided to remove his children from a government school because their academic performances had become poor. “What I’ve noticed about free education is that bana Kupunzila sibapunzila bwino (children are not learning properly)....