Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has emphasized the need for effective financial accountability and monitoring systems to ensure that the K806.1 million released by Government for school grants is used for its intended purposes.
On Monday, Ministry of Finance and National Planning disclosed that it had disbursed K806.1 million in school grants for the fourth quarter of 2026, completing the Government’s annual funding provision of over K2.3 billion to support free education, sustain school operations, and ease the financial burden on parents and guardians.
Speaking in an interview with Money News, ZANEC Executive Director Kenan Lungu, said the monitoring guidelines put in place by Government were important in tracking how schools spend the funds and ensuring that they account for the money received.
Mr. Lungu stated that the measures were aimed at promoting transparency and ensuring that schools remained accountable for the resources allocated to them.
“The guidelines which Government has put in place are important in monitoring how much money has been used and ensuring that schools account for the funds they receive,” he said.
He added that follow-ups were necessary to establish whether schools were adhering to the guidelines governing the utilization of school grants.
Mr. Lungu explained that monitoring enabled relevant authorities to assess expenditure and determine whether the funds were being used for their intended purposes.
“It is important to conduct follow-ups to establish how the money has been spent and whether it has been used for the intended purpose,”Mr. Lungu stated.
He said the monitoring process was also essential in promoting transparency and ensuring that public resources allocated to the education sector translated into tangible benefits for learners.
Mr. Lungu stressed that collective measures had been put in place in relation to subsequent disbursements, making accountability an important consideration in the continued release of funds to schools.
He noted that such measures could encourage school authorities to maintain proper financial records, provide expenditure reports and demonstrate how the grants had been utilized before receiving subsequent disbursements.
