.MUSENGE

By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI and JAMES KUNDA –
GOVERNMENT has called on the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) to set up boarding facilities for the newly-launched Ndola campus to attract more students.
Speaking during the launch of the first NIPA campus in Ndola yesterday, Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge said management should come up with ways of entering into a partnership with the business community in the construction of boarding facilities.
Mr Musenge said the construction of boarding houses would attract more students from the Copperbelt and other surrounding provinces.
“I would like to implore the management of NIPA to do all that is necessary and begin to consider the possibility of constructing some boarding facilities for this campus,” Mr Musenge said.
He said public colleges and universities in the country were faced with inadequate housing for students and NIPA should find ways of mitigating the problem of accommodation in Ndola.
The minister urged management to continue reviewing its curriculum so that it remains relevant to the needs of its clientele.
He said Government attached importance to review the education curriculum in order to prioritise the enhancement of capacity building, which would give the NIPA and other colleges the impetus to contribute to increased performance of the public service.
NIPA governing council chairperson Mwindaace Siamwiza said the aim of the institute was to open satellite campuses in all the provincial centres and that the Ndola campus was the pilot of the other campuses yet to be opened.
Meanwhile, Education deputy minister Patrick Ngoma has said Government will partner with the private sector to help Zambia attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on education.
Mr Ngoma said through the Private Public Partnerships (PPPs), Government has encouraged the private sector to help improve education standards in the country.
Mr Ngoma said in Ndola when he commissioned Kawama secondary school which was recently constructed at a cost of K 1.2million by Promoting Quality in African Schools (PEAS), a United Kingdom based organisation with operations in Zambia.
“Government through the PPPs is pursuing the private sector to help improve education standards so that Zambia can attain the MDGs on education,” Mr Ngoma said.
He said Government had revised the education curriculum to increase access to education for all and to help Zambia attain middle income economic status by the year 2030.
PEAS Zambia managing director Rachel Kalaba said the organisation has expanded it’s footprint to supplement Government’s efforts in providing quality education.
Ms Kalaba said PEAS would facilitate the provision of affordable education to enrich Zambia’s youth with skills for survival.
And Kawama secondary director of education Wendy Mpakisi commended PEAS for the gesture.
Ms Mpakisi also commended Government for the commitment shown towards improving learning standards.