Contribution to international development report: 2017-2018

Chapter Three - Zambia

3.1. Introduction

Scotland has a long and historical connection to Zambia through Dr Livingstone and the Scottish medical missionaries, indeed Dr Livingstone's heart remains buried at Chitambo, in Zambia's Central Province.

The Scottish Government has continued to build upon Scotland's historical relationship with Zambia and its people by supporting Zambia's aim to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Indeed, the Scottish Government Minister for International Development and Europe visited Zambia in February 2018 to continue to develop the existing relationship between our countries, and meet the Scottish Government's new partners under the IDF.

The Scottish Government has now committed to funding six projects, between 2017 and 2022. These projects are funded from the development assistance funding stream of the IDF, all of which are summarised in Annex A and there are links to each project's End Year Report. The Zambian Education School Based Training programme is discussed below:

3.2 The Open University in Scotland - Zambian Education School Based Training ( ZEST)

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4 Quality Education

3.2.1. Background

The Zambian Ministry of General Education is concerned that the Zambian curriculum is not being effectively implemented because teachers lack the skills or the practical resources. This observation was substantiated by the 2016 Zambian Educational Policy Review and so to address this need, the Open University and the Ministry of General Education jointly designed a programme of activities to support teacher education.

3.2.2. The Project

The Zambian Education School based Training ( ZEST) project aims to improve the quality of primary school teaching and learning in Central Province through a school based Teacher Development Programme. The Programme supports teachers

in developing active teaching approaches and finding solutions to the very practical issues they face in the classroom. As Grace Banda, the District Education Board Secretary of Chisamba explains:

"The ZEST project will help in addressing the shortfalls or inadequacies on knowledge and skills by teachers on the importance of learner centred methods. It will help in equipping the district with relevant knowledge and skills for the 21st century teaching approaches, which will enable us to provide the necessary coaching and mentoring skills to all the teachers in Chisamba district."