ZAMBIA'S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION STATES THAT THE ACADEMIC PRODUCTION UNIT (APU) HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO OPEN LEARNING CLASSES AND OPERATIONAL POLICY GUIDELINES ON HOW THESE CLASSES WILL BE MANAGED WILL BE DEVELOPED SOON.
EDUCATION PERMANENT SECRETARY DR JAMES MULUNGUSHI SAID THE TRANSFORMATION IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE APU WAS NOT CONTROLLED BY THE MINISTRY BUT BY INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS WHICH CHARGED INHIBITIVE FEES AS EACH SCHOOL HAD A DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
DR MULUNGUSHI EXPLAINED THAT THE APU TERMINOLOGY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH RAISING FUNDS AND NOT NECESSARILY PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION TO ZAMBIANS AND THAT THERE WAS NO POLICY GUIDELINES TO GIVE DIRECTION ON HOW THESE CLASSES WOULD BE RUN.
HE SAID UNDER THE TRANSFORMATION, THE FEES PAID BY THOSE IN OPEN LEARNING CLASSES WILL BE THE SAME AS THOSE PAID BY THE REST OF THE LEARNERS AT EACH SCHOOL STATING THAT PART OF THE USER FEES WILL BE PAID TO TEACHERS AS ALLOWANCES FOR DOING EXTRA WORK.
DR MULUNGUSHI HAS SINCE DIRECTED ALL PROVINCIAL EDUCATION OFFICERS, DISTRICT EDUCATION BOARD SECRETARIES AND HEAD OF SCHOOLS TO COMPLY WITH THE DIRECTIVES WITHOUT FAIL.
THE TERM OPEN LEARNING CLASSES IS INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED AND USED WORLD WIDE IT MEANS THAT LEARNERS CAN BE ENROLLED AT ANY LEVEL AND ATTEND CLASSES AT ANY CONVENIENT TIME OF THE DAY.
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