 Name three social and political forces that have shaped the
educational system of the country you are in.
 Explain how each has influenced the educational system and provide
examples.

Introduction
This paper explains the three social and political forces that have shaped
the educational system of Zambia,
1. he three social and political forces include;
 Post-colonial curriculum;
The remnants of British colonialism are evident in both the structure and
content of the Zambian educational system.
 Several decades of war;
For nearly a quarter-century, Zambia has been plagued by civil war, rebel
insurgencies, and cattle rustling, which has left the educational infrastructure in
shambles and made abject poverty the norm.
 Poverty
Zambians are attempting to rebuild their economic and educational
infrastructure, reweave their social fabric, and acquire the human and political
capital required to compete effectively on a national and international level in
this social context.
What impact each of these elements has had on Zambia's educational
system.
Zambian education is still structured in the same way it was during the colonial
period. The majority of youngsters start school at the age of six. Most Zambian
children are expected to attend primary school for seven years (P1–P7), with
class sizes averaging around 80 students per teacher. All children are expected
to sit for the Primary Leaving Examination at the end of primary school (P7),
which they must "pass" in order to be eligible to attend secondary school.
Ordinary (O-level) and advanced (A-level) secondary education are the two
levels (A- level). O-level is a four-year schooling program (S1-S4) in which
pupils study a wide range of co Students must sit for the Zambia Certificate
Examination (ZCE) at the end of their O-levels, which will route them to an ALevel if they pass well.
The A-level is a two-year program (S5-S6) that focuses on pupils' academic
strengths in order to prepare them for post-secondary education.

Several decades of war;
For nearly a quarter-century, the area has been decimated by civil war
and rebel insurgencies, which have left the educational system in
shambles and made abject poverty the norm. Zambia has battled on many
fronts since attaining independence in 1963. Zambians have proven to be
extraordinarily tenacious in the face of recurrent wars and oppression.
References:
1. Okoth, P.G. (1993). The creation of a dependent culture: The
imperial school curriculum in Uganda. In Mangan, J.A. (Ed.) The
Imperial curriculum: Racial images and education in the British
colonial experience. New York: Routledge.
2. International Journal of Education. 2011, vol. 3, No. 1: E1