The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has demanded an immediate and decisive end to what it describes as the systematic abuse of free education grants within the Ministry of Education, Zambia. The organisation says the grants were introduced to support teaching and learning in public schools, not to fund administrative excesses, costly workshops, or activities that do not directly benefit learners.
NAQEZ Executive Director Aaron Chansa states that the continued diversion of school grants is undermining the very purpose of the free education policy and depriving learners of essential resources. He is calling for urgent corrective action from authorities.
The organisation notes that as far back as July 2023, it raised concerns, both publicly and privately, about the misuse of these funds. However, NAQEZ says excessive workshops and meetings organised by senior ministry officials have continued unchecked, reflecting what it terms a worrying disregard for accountability.
NAQEZ further recalls that on April 10, 2014, the Ministry of Finance, Zambia, released a report revealing that over K356 million in education funds had been misapplied. The organisation says it is deeply alarming that, as of February 2026, similar patterns of abuse appear to be persisting without meaningful institutional reform.
The education watchdog has also clarified that head teachers are not to blame for the ongoing abuse. NAQEZ says many school administrators operate under direct pressure and instruction from senior officials, including Permanent Secretaries, Provincial Education Officers, and District Education Board Secretaries, who allegedly compel schools to divert funds to activities unrelated to learners’ welfare.
By Elfi Mwale Shampande
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