Education Minister Douglas Syakalima says Zambia has become a regional hub for education following the enrollment of thousands of foreign students in Zambian universities.
Mr. Syakalima says Zambia has attracted alot of students from Southern African countries who are pursuing their tertiary education in various universities in the country.
In a speech read for him by Ministry of Education Director Universities Amos Mumba during the official opening of the 6th Southern African Quality Assurance Network (SAQAN) Conference in Livingstone this morning, Mr. Syakalima said students in the region prefer to study in Zambia because the country is just two hours away from most of its neighbors.
He said because of the high demand for tertiary education, the Zambian government has opened up the education sector to the private sector.
Mr. Syakalima said government values education as it is crucial in promoting development.
And SAQAN President Dr. Sylvia Demas said there is need for the harmonisation of the education system in the region.
Dr. Demas said countries need to resolve any conflicts between their education systems and exchange best practices to integrate education at regional level.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Authority of Zambia Director General Professor Kazhila Chinsembu said the quality of higher education in Southern Africa will remain in doubt as long as there is failure to undertake the decolonization of the education curriculum.
Professor Chinsembu said there is need for quality and an Afrocentric approach including a post-colonial mentality to teaching and learning in an effort to transform the curriculum in universities.
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