THE free education policy will now become law following Parliament’s approval of the Education (Amendment) Bill.
The law seeks to guarantee education as a right for all citizens, covering early childhood care, development and education through to secondary school level in public institutions.
It was among several proposed pieces of legislation presented for second reading in the National Assembly. Parliament will sit until 23:00 hours in the coming days as it seeks to pass a number of Bills.
Earlier, Minister of Education Douglas Siakalima said the Bill was a significant milestone in Zambia’s education reform agenda.
Mr Siakalima said the enactment will legally embed free education, improve equity across all levels of education, and further strengthen protection for the most vulnerable learners.
He noted that although the free education policy has recorded significant achievements since its introduction in 2021 under the New Dawn Government, the initiative remained mostly administrative and not fully anchored in law.
“This status quo gave rise to implementation challenges that cannot be adequately addressed through administrative means alone,” he said.
Mr Siakalima cited inconsistencies in enforcement across institutions, continued unlawful charging of fees in some public schools, and the absence of mechanisms to compel compliance and provide redress to affected learners and families.
“In view of these limitations, it has become both necessary and urgent to elevate free education from a policy directive to a legal right, enforceable in law and protected by the full authority of Parliament,” the minister said.
He said the move will ensure sustainability of the gains achieved, provide legal certainty for learners, institutions and administrators, and establish clear accountability mechanisms.
“Its enactment will legally entrench free education, improve equity across all levels of education and strengthen protection for the most vulnerable learners in society. It is a transformative and historic piece of legislation that will ensure no Zambian child is denied access to education,” he said.
Other Bills presented for second reading include the Higher Education (Amendment) Bill, Environmental Management (Amendment) Bill, National Heritage Conservation Commission (Amendment) Bill, and National Museums (Amendment) Bill.
(Mwebantu, Thursday, 7th May, 2026)
