QUALITY OF TERTIARY EDUCATION AMIDST POPULATION POPULATION GROWTH: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ZAMBIA

Lack of quality tertiary education is often highlighted as one of the main factors hindering the development of African countries. Most of southern African countries and Zambia in particular exhibit the lowest literacy rates and additionally account for half of out-of-school children globally. Despite gradually implemented reforms, these countries still face numerous challenges and do not meet global standards in some instances. Although a good number of articles referring to education in this area has been growing in recent years, few have dealt with quality education at the tertiary level amidst population expansion considering both challenges and opportunities. This area remains fragmented and do not provide a synthetic analysis of the main factors shaping education in the region. This article addresses this gap. Based on an analysis of a selection of existing research evidence, statistics and reports, this study delivers a holistic analysis of education systems in Zambia in the midst of population expansion. In this study of population expansion in relation to education, we have challenges as well as opportunities. This study contributes to a better understanding of Zambian education as one of the critical factors in the social and economic development of Zambia and other parts of Africa.