Zimbabwean Teachers Urge Government To Emulate Zambia’s Free Education Policy

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has urged the Government of Zimbabwe to take lessons from recent reforms in Zambia, where authorities have introduced laws guaranteeing free education and strengthening social protection for citizens.

In Zambia, President Hakainde Hichilema recently signed the country’s first legislation making free education a legal right, formally entrenching a policy that has been in place since 2021 and expanding access to schooling across the country.

The Education Amendment Act of 2026 ensures that no child can be denied a place in a public school based on non-payment of fees.

Alongside the education reforms, President Hichilema also signed four pension-related laws aimed at improving social protection, including raising minimum pension payments, allowing partial lump-sum withdrawals for around 30,000 retirees, and enhancing pension savings for more than 1.2 million members of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA).

PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou praised Zambia for adopting the reforms, including the Education Amendment Act, which formally guarantees free education and strengthens the right to schooling.

He said Zimbabwe should draw inspiration from its neighbour and move towards making education free and compulsory for all children.

“The Education Act now guarantees free education in schools in Zambia, strengthening the policy introduced in 2022 by President Hakainde Hichilema into a legal right,” Zhou said.

“In Zimbabwe, free and compulsory education for children in schools has been elusive since 1980, while access to higher and tertiary education is fast becoming a preserve of the rich.”

“If Zambia did it, Zimbabwe can also do it. We therefore need to draw lessons from Zambia and implement free and compulsory education in Zimbabwe.”

Hichilema recently signed five Bills, namely the Education Amendment Bill 2026, the National Pension Scheme Bill 2026, the Public Service Pensions Bill 2026, the Pensions Scheme Regulation Amendment Bill 2026, and the Local Authorities Superannuation Bill 2026, into law.

“Taking a cue from Zambia will go a long way towards responsible governance and act as a bulwark against the pursuit of egocentrism and hegemonic power,” said Zhou.

More: Midweek Watch