Increased allocation to early Childhood Education elates ZANEC

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has expressed cautious optimism following the presentation of the 2026 National Budget by Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, specifically noting an upward adjustment in funding for Early Childhood Education (ECE). The budgetary allocation for foundational learning saw a marginal rise from 2.5 percent to 3 percent. While education advocates view this positive shift as a step in the right direction, they emphasize that much more work remains to transform foundational learning structures across the country. ZANEC noted that while any increase in ECE support demonstrates a willingness by the New Dawn administration to look at early learning needs, the current funding percentage falls significantly short of the comprehensive investments required to build robust infrastructure and accommodate growing youth populations. Foundational education serves as the bedrock for long-term human capital development, making adequate resource mobilization critical for sustainable national growth. Stakeholders across the educational spectrum have consistently maintained that early childhood schooling must be prioritized to bridge literacy and numeracy gaps before children enter primary grades. Despite the positive reception of the ECE adjustment, ZANEC and other civil society organizations have raised broader concerns regarding the overall share of the national budget dedicated to the education sector. Critics point out that while total nominal figures for education have expanded to accommodate ongoing teacher recruitments and school feeding programs, the sector's proportional share of the national pie requires deeper structural commitments to meet regional and global targets such as Sustainable Development Goal 4. In addition to financial allocations, education experts continue to lobby for the accelerated construction of standalone ECE centers, specialized teacher training programs, and enhanced learni