There are many compelling reasons why governments need to prioritize funding to the education sector. Estimates on the effects of lower levels of education on development reveal that increased levels of primary and secondary education contributes to reducing infant mortality, maternal mortality and the HIV prevalence. Research also shows that cases of HIV infection are lower among children who have completed primary education, while children born to uneducated mothers have higher chances of dying before the age of five. Similarly, research has shown that tertiary education has significantly higher contributions towards growth in GDP than other levels of education.
The reason for this is that a highly skilled labour force is more productive, key in driving economic growth and thus critical in the attainment of long term development goals. However, despite the overwhelming evidence on the vital role that education plays in accelerating economic growth, reducing inequality and eradicating poverty, many countries including Zambia, have low investment in the education sector.
The Status of Education Report by the Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) shows that funding to the education sector in Zambia has been on the decline since 2015. The findings reveal that although Zambia achieved the minimum SADC threshold for financing education, which is 20% of the national budget in 2014 and 2015 when the sector was allocated 20.2% of the national budget, this reduced to 17.2% in 2016. Similarly, the 2017 education budget further reduced to 16.50% of the national budget.
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