Sustaining Free Education Policy in Zambia: The Role of Government Funding in Kabwe District Secondary Schools

The purpose of the study was to explore perceptions on the sustainability of free education policy in selected secondary schools of Kabwe district. The study sought to achieve this through a qualitative research approach using a descriptive case study of Kabwe district. Purposive sampling techniques were used, resulting in a sample size of 25 participants. The study was anchored on three theories: Human Capital theory, Social Equity Theory and the Critical Policy Implementation Theory, which were synthesized into an integrated framework that guided the study. The integration of the Human Capital Theory, Social Equity Theory and Critical Policy Implementation Theory to form a unified analytical framework that examined the sustainability of the free education policy. Human Capital Theory provided a lens for understanding free education as an investment in learners’ skills and national development; Social Equity Theory emphasized fairness, access, and inclusion in policy benefits, while Critical Policy Implementation Theory guided the analysis of contextual, administrative, and structural factors affecting policy execution. Together, the integrated framework enabled a holistic assessment of both the intended developmental and equity goals of the policy and the practical challenges influencing its effective implementation in secondary schools. Data were collected using interview guides and were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis procedures. The study found that the school grants necessary for procuring the required materials for the implementation of the free education policy were not distributed on time. Thus, this might have a negative influence on the effective implementation of the free secondary education policy. Thus, the study recommended the timely distribution of the school grants in secondary schools.