For every 10 primary schools in Zambia, there is only one secondary school.
PEAS opened its first school in Zambia in 2012. Today, we have six schools educating over 3,000 students from rural communities. We want all young people to access a quality education, so we are working with the Ministry of Education to identify cost-effective approaches to improve school quality and inclusion within government schools.
Evidence shows, PEAS is reducing financial barriers and increasing access for young people who may not otherwise be able to go to school. PEAS students get better results despite having lower prior academic achievement. PEAS schools have strong community engagement especially around girls’ education.
We launched a ground-breaking school improvement programme with the Ministry of Education in 2021 in the Northern Province of Zambia.
Working in partnership with the government, we designed and implemented a programme which helps school leaders to create a school environment that enables high-quality learning. The programme is being implemented in 70 government schools reaching over 30,000 students outside of PEAS schools.
Building on what we’ve learned in Uganda, we’re supporting the government to strengthen and improve the quality of school management - a key challenge in the Zambian education system.
Dorcas is an 18-year-old student from Zambia who has been attending a PEAS school since early 2020. Here Dorcas shares how her grades improved since joining a PEAS school.
Find out more about Dorcas’ storyShe said: “I used to attend a day school, which was very strict. Since attending a PEAS school, my grades are much better. I love the way the teachers here teach us, and my favourite teacher always encourages me to work hard to achieve my goals. I love living in the dorm because it allows me to study without disturbances. I am on a sponsorship for the boarding school, so the school does not cost my family. PEAS has supported many boarding students in paying school fees because some of our parents are unable to do so.
“At school, I play football and netball, which I really enjoy. I also assist in the upkeep of the school’s vegetable garden, which we sell to the teachers. The vegetables are also used in the meals at the boarding school. We also visit the community and do charity work.
“Mathematics is my favourite subject; I enjoy counting and want to be an accountant. As well as being an accountant, I want to be a peacemaker.”