By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema has signed the country’s Free Education Bill into law, cementing the policy as a permanent feature of Zambia’s education system.
Speaking at State House in Lusaka on Thursday, President Hichilema also announced plans to construct new public universities in North‑Western, Eastern, Southern, Luapula, and Northern provinces, saying the move will expand access to higher education nationwide.
“We all cannot continue to go to UNZA, hence the need for other public universities in each province,” he said.
The President explained that enshrining free education into law was meant to safeguard the policy from reversal by future administrations.
“I do not want those who come after me to remove free education,” he said.
He added that the measure will give more children the opportunity to attend school and build a better future.
Vice President Mutale Nalumango described the free education law as a deliberate attempt to remove one of Zambia’s most popular social policies from the whims of future politics.
“The President decided that free education should not merely depend on policy or the goodwill of individuals,” she said.
Speaking at the event Emma Chanda, a pupil at Kabulonga Girls Secondary School, expressed gratitude on behalf of learners.
“We thank the President for signing free education into law,” she said, noting that the legislation has removed barriers that prevented many children from accessing education.
“By doing so, you have removed barriers to education for many people, a child from any village will now be able to attend school,” she said.
Officials say the reforms mark a turning point in Zambia’s education system, broadening opportunities from primary to tertiary levels and aligning national development with inclusive education.
