Trajectories of Curriculum Change in Initial Primary Teacher Education in Zambia

Abstract

This chapter reviews trends in primary teacher education for the last five decades in Zambia. Since independence, Zambia has undertaken the following curriculum reforms in primary teacher education; the Zambia Primary Course(ZPC), The Zambia Basic Education Course(ZBEC), The Field Based Teacher Training Approach(FIBATTA) which was discontinued hardly three months of trial, The Zambia Teacher Education Reform Programme(ZATERP) piloted in three colleges of education, The Zambia Teacher Education Course(ZATEC-one year college based and one year school-based);the Zambia Teacher Education Course(ZATEC-two year residential course) and the current three year Diploma Primary Teacher Education Programme. The Ministry of Education upgraded all primary colleges of education to Diploma status and affiliated them to the University of Zambia. For a couple of years, the Ministry of Education back peddled and attached all Colleges of Education to the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ), a decision that was roundly condemned as a departure from the SADC protocol on education. Meanwhile, Colleges of Education which were under ECZ have now reverted to the University of Zambia with respect to quality assurance and programme supervision.