Secondary School Headteachers’ Experiences on the Production Unit Projects Option to Supplement Finances in the Free Education Regime in Zambia
The Zambian public school free education policy introduced by the current government has led to increasing financial problems for effective school operations, particularly in secondary education. Educational institutions have chosen to start projects for income generation in order to compensate for budget shortfalls. The practice of school agriculture, or production units as they are called, has expanded throughout the country. This research explored how headteachers handle production unit projects that tackle school financial problems in secondary educational institutions throughout the Kabwe district of Zambia. Eight randomly selected headteachers participated in semi-structured interviews. The results were thematically analysed, highlighting how projects started, the problems they faced, and their achievements and consequences. The situation requires continuous commitment to resilience while promoting collaboration between stakeholders and their active engagement in Kabwe district secondary education.
Keywords: Production unit, Secondary schools, Headteachers’ experiences, Kabwe district
