Host Mazabuka

People who elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims but accomplices - George Orwell

Establishment of the Primary Educators Association of Zambia (PEAZ)

By Host Mazabuka

1. Introduction

Primary education forms the foundation of every nation’s human capital development. It is at this level that learners acquire the basic literacy, numeracy, and social skills upon which all future learning depends. However, despite its critical importance, primary education in Zambia has long lacked a dedicated professional body to champion the specific needs, rights, and development of primary educators.

The Primary Educators Association of Zambia (PEAZ) would be established as a professional platform that brings together primary school teachers, administrators, and education specialists to enhance the quality, relevance, and status of primary education nationwide.

2. Rationale

Currently, many educational associations in Zambia focus broadly on the teaching profession or specific learning areas, but none provide focused representation for the primary education sector. Yet, primary education faces distinct challenges—ranging from content depth, teacher workloads, infrastructure deficits, and curriculum implementation hurdles—that require specialized attention and advocacy.

A dedicated association would fill this gap by promoting professional growth, research, and policy dialogue centered on primary-level pedagogy, curriculum, and teacher welfare.

3. Objectives of the Primary Educators Association of Zambia

Enhance primary content mastery across learning areas
- Develop localized and in-depth teaching content relevant to the Zambian context.
- Promote content development workshops that strengthen teacher capacity in core subjects such as literacy, numeracy, science, and social studies.
- Encourage the integration of indigenous knowledge and culturally responsive pedagogies.

Address unique primary education challenges
- Advocate for improved teacher-pupil ratios, fair workloads, and adequate teaching and learning resources.
- Strengthen teacher support systems, mentoring, and continuous professional development focused on early childhood and foundational learning.
- Provide a voice for primary teachers in educational reforms, salary structures, workplace policies, and welfare matters.

Create a platform solely dedicated to primary education issues
- Facilitate regular symposia, conferences, and policy dialogues for primary educators.
- Serve as a communication bridge between educators, the Ministry of Education, NGOs, and community stakeholders.
- Establish peer learning cycles and professional learning communities within provinces and districts.

Advance research and innovation in primary education
- Encourage data-driven practices that improve teaching quality and learner outcomes.
- Document and share best practices from classrooms across Zambia.
- Partner with teacher training colleges and universities to promote specialized research on effective primary-level teaching methodologies.

Support teacher welfare and professional recognition.
- Advocate for appropriate incentives, housing, scholarships, and professional growth opportunities for primary teachers.
- Recognize excellence in primary teaching through awards and professional certification programs.
- Foster unity and solidarity through welfare schemes and networking initiatives.

4. Expected Outcomes

- A more cohesive and empowered community of primary educators.
- Improved teaching quality and learner achievement at the primary level.
- Enhanced representation of primary teachers in national education dialogues and policy formulation.
- Stronger collaboration between schools, government, and civil society toward foundational learning excellence.

5. Conclusion

The formation of the Primary Educators Association of Zambia (PEAZ) is a strategic and necessary step toward strengthening the nation’s education system from its roots. By focusing on the distinct realities of primary education, PEAZ will help elevate teaching standards, improve learning outcomes, and restore professional dignity to the educators who shape Zambia’s future citizens from their very first lessons.

The End
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GROUP WORK
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Ineffective group work is a wasted learning opportunity for learners.

Group work should not be viewed as a substitute for independent practice, and if the task can be completed independently, then in most cases it should be.

To be effective, group work needs to be meticulously planned to ensure that all learners in the group are participating and active.

If this is not the case, then the learners are losing valuable learning opportunities.

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The Directorate of Primary Education: Structure and Key Statistics from the Primary Education Provision Guide (2026).

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Compiled and extracted by Sikana Danny Emmanuel and Mazabuka Host.

The 2026 Primary Education Provision Guide (PEPG) outlines a comprehensive framework for the organization and administration of primary education within the Ministry of Education. According to pages 19 and 20 of the document, the structure of the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) at Headquarters is designed to ensure effective coordination and oversight of the primary sub-sector.

The Guide further proposes the replication of this structure at both provincial and district levels, thereby promoting a decentralized approach to education management. At the provincial level, it is envisaged that each of the ten provinces will be served by one (01) Senior Education Officer (SEO) responsible for primary education. This arrangement results in a total of ten Senior Education Officers nationwide, each tasked with overseeing primary schools within their respective provinces.

At the district level, the structure provides for one (01) Education Officer (EO) per district, specifically assigned to primary education. Given the current administrative demarcation, this translates into a total of 116 Education Officers across the country. This proposed staffing framework underscores the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that primary education is adequately represented and managed at all administrative levels.

The PEPG, signed by the Permanent Secretaries Dr. Mambwe Kelvin and Ms. Noriana Muneku and endorsed by the Minister of Education, Honorable Douglas Syakalima, emphasizes that the overarching goal is to ensure that “primary education is represented at all levels of the education system.”

Furthermore, the positions within the Directorate are intended to be equivalent in status to those in other directorates, while also addressing the specific functional needs of the primary education sub-sector.

In addition to structural provisions, the 2026 PEPG drawing on data from the 2024 School Statistical Bulletin, presents key statistics that provide insight into the state of primary education in Zambia. In terms of school distribution, Eastern Province records the highest number of Government (GRZ) primary schools at 994, followed closely by Southern Province with 973 schools. However, when Grant-Aided, Community, and Private Schools are included, Southern Province ranks first overall with 1,650 schools, while Eastern Province follows with 1,459.

Conversely, Lusaka Province has the lowest number of GRZ primary schools, totaling 264, with Copperbelt Province ranking second lowest at 516. When all categories of schools are considered, Muchinga Province records the lowest number at 717, followed by Luapula Province with 744 schools. Nationally, the total number of GRZ primary schools stands at 6,957, increasing to 11,464 when all school types are included.

With regard to human resources, Copperbelt Province has the highest number of primary school teachers, totaling 19,734, followed by Southern Province with 16,009 teachers. Muchinga Province records the lowest number of teachers at 6,419. Overall, the country has 116,858 primary school teachers, comprising 47,735 males and 69,123 females, indicating a higher proportion of female teachers in the primary education workforce.

In terms of learner enrolment, the total number of pupils in primary schools across the country stands at 4,489,003, reflecting the extensive scale of the primary education system. The Teacher–Pupil Ratio (TPR) further highlights disparities across provinces. Eastern Province records the highest average TPR at 59:1, followed by Northern Province at 52:1, suggesting relatively higher classroom congestion. In contrast, Copperbelt Province has the lowest TPR at 34:1, indicating comparatively more favorable teaching and learning conditions.

In conclusion, the Primary Education Provision Guide (2026) presents a structured and decentralized framework for the administration of primary education, complemented by statistical evidence that reveals notable regional variations in school distribution, teacher allocation, and classroom conditions. These insights are critical for informing policy decisions aimed at improving equity, access, and quality within the primary education sub-sector.

Attached is the current structure of the directorate of Primary Education at Ministry Headquarters.

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Happy Sabbath nobana bokwesu

Question: Why should teachers assess both numeracy and literacy in the same teaching session?

Answer: To have a complete result for each learner, as there is no guarantee that all assessed learners will attend school the next day.

Question: When should we stop using objects in numeracy lessons?

Ans: As soon as the learners have acquired the concept, the use of objects should be discontinued.

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I am an experienced primary educator with more than 10 years of classroom teaching and 5 years of leadership as a Zone In-service Coordinator and now a deputy school manager.

My professional expertise bridges literacy and numeracy content mastery with education systems design, focusing on curriculum implementation, instructional support, and teacher capacity building.

I hold a Master of Education in Primary Education from the University of Zambia, where I researched the "integration of ICT in teaching and learning Mathematics in primary schools". https://www.academia.edu/129081321/Integration_of_ICTs_in_Teaching_and_Learning_Mathematics_at_the_Primary_School_Level?source=swp_share.

My academic background includes Educational Research Methodology, Curriculum Modes in Primary Education, Literacy and Numeracy pedagogy, and contemporary issues in Mathematics education.

Beyond classroom instruction, I play an active role in designing and facilitating Continuous Professional Development (CPD). I serve as a National Master Trainer in Catch-Up methodology, appointed by the Ministry of Education and as a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) advocate. My work emphasises evidence-based pedagogy supported by data analysis skills, strengthened by a Certificate in Microsoft Excel.

I am deeply committed to promoting learner engagement through contextualised, data-driven, and inquiry-based instruction, while integrating sustainable practices into education. I am open to opportunities in teacher training, curriculum design, educational program coordination, and training facilitation.

Integration of ICTs in Teaching and Learning Mathematics at the Primary School Level Integration of ICTs in Teaching and Learning Mathematics at the Primary School Level

This is for my fellow primary school teachers.
📌Other unions deduction - K123 (2%) per mont.
📌EdTUZ deduction - K48 (0.8%) per month.

The decision and choice is yours to make.