Effects of Cost Sharing on Access to High School Education

This book is an insight giving based on a study whose purpose was to find out the effects of cost sharing on access to high school education in Kabwe Urban District of the Central Province in Zambia, with full understanding that the principle of cost-sharing in the Zambian education system was introduced with a view to addressing the issues of equity and equality in the education system. Data was collected by using interviews with Head Teachers, Parents and the learners; questionnaires administered to Teachers and review of other related literature. After analysis, the study was concluded that majority of the children that entered the education system were ejected out of the system before reaching Grade 12, on account of: failure to meet the cost sharing requirements, especially raising money to pay school fees. Other Effects include: learner absenteeism, delayed entry into school, increased repetition, as a result hampering learner performance. While the well to do parents supported the cost sharing policy, the other category of parents did not support it, as they were negatively affected by this same policy.