Meeting Education for All (EFA) Case Study
Zambia Community Schools
As a result of the political and economic shifts that occurred during Zambia’s transition away from a socialist economy in the early 1990s, many Zambians became concerned with the country’s large number of uneducated children. Communities began forming their own schools, usually in the absence of a nearby public school and/or in response to the inability of families to meet the costs associated with government-provided schooling. Supported by local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and, most importantly, embraced by the Zambian government, these local initiatives have grown into a national movement. This case study examines community schools in Zambia in an attempt to assess the contribution they make to meeting the educational needs of students and, in particular, orphans and vulnerable children.