SOME members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday resolved and committed themselves to supporting the Education Act review process and ensure that the draft Education Bill is enacted next year.

The MPs, mostly from opposition political parties, said they would support the enactment of the bill which was last enacted in 1966 because education was a fundamental right for all.

The parliamentarians' resolution was made in a joint communiqué during the Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) forum for MPs in Lusaka.

"Whereas on December 3, 2009 we attended a meeting organised by the ZANEC at the Courtyard Hotel in Lusaka and we resolved to play an active role in the review of the Education Act Cap 134 of the Laws of Zambia," reads part of the communiqué.

The MPs said they had recognised and understood the importance of quality education for all and its role in the social, culture and economic development of the nation.

The parliamentarians, however, said they were concerned that the majority of children were still out of school and the quality of education had deteriorated.

The MPs said they were determined to uphold education as a human right and to enact an enabling legislation.

The parliamentarians' said the process to review the Education Act of 1966 had taken unnecessarily long and it needed to be concluded.

They said they appreciated the development that had taken place in the

education sector and the need to make legislation to support these developments.

Contributing to the forum, Livingstone Central United Liberal Party (ULP) MP, Sakwiba Sikota said signing the communiqué would be adding more pressure to the authorities and other players in the quick enactment of the bill.

Patriotic Front (PF) Roan MP Chishimba Kambwili concured with Mr Sikota saying the move would be an indication to other MPs and the Government that Zambians needed the bill to be enacted.

United Party for National Development (UPND) Mapatizya MP Ackson Sejani said there was need to support the Education Bill because public education was no longer there and this could only be done through the enactment of the bill.

ZANEC chairperson, Barbara Chilangwa said her organisation's view was that a favourable legal framework played a pivotal role in the delivery of quality and equitable education services in any society.

Mrs Chilangwa said to this effect, it was important that everyone rose to the challenge facing the current legal framework in the education sector and ensured the speedy enactment of appropriate legislation.

Meanwhile, the Copperbelt Development Foundation (CDF) has reaffirmed its commitment in supplementing Government's effort in improving the education sector.

CDF Director Webster Kabuba said it was imperative that all stakeholders took part in developing the education sector to meet the millenium development goal (MDG) on education.

He was speaking when he toured Chambishi High School in Chambishi and Chintimfu Middle Basic school in Mpongwe where his organisation is constructing a 1X3 and 1X6 classroom blocks and three teachers' houses at the two schools respectively.

Mr Kabuba said the organisation would spend K680 million in constructing the classroom blocks at the two schools.

He said Government was trying hard to improve the education sector but that the growing demand for education infrastructure was too much for Government alone to address.