The contribution of higher education to national systems: the case of Zambia

TLDR: The contribution of higher education in the national education systems is explored in this paper, where higher education has a critical role to play in developing and advancing national education system through generating and disseminating research knowledge in areas such as curriculum, teacher training, reading, financing, management, quality of teaching, gender, equity, education management, policy and planning.

Abstract: This paper explores the contribution of higher education in the national education systems.  Higher education in Zambia has a critical role to play in developing and advancing the national education system through generating and disseminating research knowledge in areas such as curriculum, teacher training, reading, financing, management, quality of teaching, gender, equity, education management, policy and planning.  The higher education sector is small but influential at other levels and in all sectors of national development and it functions as the only source of qualified professionals, managers and leaders.    Higher education has a core function of research.  However, the issue has attracted discussions in relation to the quality, relevance and utility of the research in relation to other levels of education, national development and international research agendas.  Most research is done by individual or teams of researchers and there has been little institutional engagement in funded research except at research institutes.  Higher education has not been given priority in funding because it was seen to be expensive and elitist and thus research funding has been a constraint.  Recent global thinking advocates for improved funding for higher education to enable it to contribute effectively to other levels of education.  Campaigns for increased funding for higher education are due to its perceived contribution in national development and in achieving Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing a global partnership for development.  Current policy in Zambia acknowledges the role of research in the operation and development of the education system.  The policy framework is in place affirming that decision making in education will be informed by research done in collaboration with higher education.