. Dr Phiri

By JULIUS PHIRI –
GOVERNMENT is conducting feasibility studies for the construction of a university in Eastern Province.
Education Minister John Phiri has said feasibility studies are expected to be carried out this year for the construction of a public university which will be the first in the province.
Dr Phiri said when he featured on a political hour programme on Breeze FM in Chipata that the Government had already allocated funds in the national budget for the feasibility studies for the exercise.
He explained that it was the duty of the Government to build universities in all the provinces inline with the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.
“Funds have already been allocated in the national budget for the feasibility studies of a university in Eastern Province. The PF Government wants to build public universities in all the provinces of the country inline with the PF manifesto,” he said.
Dr Phiri said the Government would also conduct feasibility studies in Southern, North-Western and Northern provinces.
The available universities in Lusaka and Copperbelt are inadequate to answer to the challenges and the needs of the ever growing students population especially after the construction of secondary schools countrywide.
The Education minister added that early childhood education was increasing after its introduction by the PF Government coupled with the revision of school curriculum and that university places will become scarce.
Government was aware that it had a backlog of outstanding arrears owed to teachers in his ministry.
Dr Phiri was aware that the Government had made some mistakes in the eduaction sector as well as other sectors such agriculture which would be rectified once voted into office in the January 20th 2015 presidential elections.
He warned political opponents not take advantage of the PF mistakes because the ruling party had also scored a lot of successes.
Dr Phiri said the PF Government stood ready to resolve all the mistakes it had made in the last three years for the sake of the people of Zambia.