Over 9,200 Teachers Upgraded as Government Tackles Backlog

More than 9,200 teachers across Zambia have received salary or position upgrades since 2022, with around 2,500 processed in 2026 alone, the Ministry of Education has confirmed.

Permanent Secretary for Education Services Dr Kelvin Mambwe announced the figures during a media briefing in Livingstone, signalling steady progress in clearing a long-standing backlog of academic upgrade applications.

Dr Mambwe acknowledged that some teachers are still waiting for their qualifications to be reflected in their pay grades and positions. He said Government is working to resolve outstanding cases in a fair, transparent and sustainable manner, but stressed that each application must be handled individually, which can make the process appear slow.

The Ministry is engaging stakeholders to ensure more deserving teachers are considered as positions and vacancies open up. Dr Mambwe appealed to teachers to remain patient as Government continues addressing their concerns in an orderly way.

He reaffirmed Government's commitment to the professional growth and welfare of the teaching workforce, describing teachers as central to Zambia's national development agenda. Under the UPND administration, the recruitment of more than 41,000 teachers since 2021 has been one of the most visible deliverables of the New Dawn government's investment in education, alongside free education and a record expansion of school enrolment to 2.6 million children.

Dr Mambwe's remarks follow a statement by the Emoluments Commission clarifying that advancement in academic qualifications does not automatically translate into salary or position upgrades, with promotions remaining tied to available vacancies and Ministry processes.