Secondary schools in Zambia teach grades eight to twelve, also known as form one to five. Some secondary schools in Zambia also offer ‘A’ levels for their students and some are secondary boarding schools. In Zambia there are international, private, government and community secondary schools. International secondary schools use internationally recognised curricula leading to secondary school qualifications such as IGCSE, GCE and the International Baccalaureate (IB). Government secondary schools are split into upper basic, grades 8-9 and secondary, grades 10-12. There is a growing list of secondary schools that can be found here.
Moving from primary school to secondary school is a big transition for students. For some students, it can be a time full of excitement, and anxiety for new experiences but for others it can be a challenging experience.
The work that students experience in secondary school builds on what they learned in primary school, this gives them more advanced knowledge about many academic subjects. The increase in workload in secondary school is what makes it a bit more challenging for some students. These challenges encourage students to work extra hard, which results in them appreciating certain subjects or discovering a passion for a particular subject.
Secondary schools have teachers and tutors who are available to assist students that are overwhelmed with their academic work. Extra lessons are available for students who require more detailed academic assistance. Students in secondary school will get to experience more independence than they did when they were in primary school. This gives them a better feel of what its like to work hard and be responsible for themselves.
In secondary schools, students have more extra-curricula than they had in primary school. This makes secondary school a great time for students to explore their interests and try new things. These extra-curricular activities will help students develop essential skills such as time management skills.
Most private, government and community secondary schools in Zambia follow a Zambian curriculum with private schools demanding the higher fees in this group. Government secondary schools provide secondary education for the whole of Zambia. They are often divided into junior secondary schools, for grades eight and nine and upper secondary schools, for grades ten to twelve. Community secondary schools are supported by individuals, businesses, farms and/or churches in the local area.
Secondary schools across Zambia may cater for day scholars and offer secondary school boarding facilities. International and private secondary school education tend to take in children from the age of 11 whilst government and community secondary school education usually begins at age 13. Government basic schools teach grades one to nine, of which grades one to seven fall in the Zambia primary school category.