Literacy & Girls' Education Nonprofit at Work in Zambia

Room to Read Zambia collaborates with the government to support Literacy and Girls' Education Programs, which advocates for early grade education, assists with national curriculum and policy and works to prevent child marriages.

Poor Infrastructure, Language Transition Impede Literacy

Inequalities between rural and urban populations in Zambia extend to education. Around 23 percent of rural primary school children are out of school, compared to only 9 percent in urban areas. Schools must accommodate many students with limited resources, inside mostly run-down buildings and with teachers who have little or no training in very difficult conditions.

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Challenges in Girls’ Education

The female literacy rate in Zambia is around 12 percent lower than the male literacy rate. This is due to endemic early marriage, teen pregnancy, sexual harassment, child labor and gender-biased school structures. The Zambian government has attempted to reform the education system, and conditions are slowly improving. In 1996 the government eliminated all school fees for grades 1 through 7, which improved access. Recently, the government also began working on a revised curriculum and literacy framework, and committed to improving teaching methodologies and supporting teacher development.