Ministry of General Education has announced a reduction in user fees in Colleges of Education across the country to k800 per term.
Announcing the development at a media briefing in Lusaka, general education minister David Mabumba said students in colleges of education both boarders and day scholars will now pay K800 as general purpose fund.
Mr Mabumba has however, clarified that those in boarding will be required to pay an additional K1,000 for rooms and feeding which will bring their total fees per term to K1,800.
He has further announced that students will now be required to make a one-off payment of k500 for their practice, stressing that this will only be applicable to those students who will qualify to go for the teaching practices.
The Minister said the new fees will be effective 13th may, 2019 when the second term for the year 2019 commences.
Meanwhile, Mr Mabumba has reminded school managements to adhere to the new reduced user fees for pupils in public and grant aided schools.
He says K150 and K200 are the user fees for schools in rural and urban areas respectively.
Mr Mabumba states that those in boarding schools will be required to pay an additional k1,000 for feeding and bed space which will bring their total fees to either k1,150 or k1,200.
He has since directed the Ministry’s permanent secretary to have the user fees for both colleges of education and public and grant aided schools printed in newspapers as a way of raising awareness and guiding parents.