Basic Space Science Education and Research in Zambia
A. Habanyama and G. Munyeme
Physics Department, University of Zambia
AHabanyama@natsci.unza.zm
Abstract. Zambia does not possess any astronomical
heritage. It is however fashionable to suppose that science teaching in
Zambia has made a revolutionary leap. Unquestionably the years since 1990
have been the most exciting in the School of Natural Sciences at the
University of Zambia. This article is an overview of this situation and a
prognosis of the future in relation to a science that has never existed in
the history of the country.
Sommaire. La Zambie n'a pas d'héritage en astronomie. Il est
cependant en vogue de supposer que l'enseignement de la science en
Zambie a fait un bon révolutionnaire. Il est incontestable que depuis
1990 un grand enthousiasme a marqué les années à l'Ecole des
Sciences Naturelles de l'Université de Zambie. Cet article est une
revue de cette situation et une projection sur le futur en rapport avec une
science qui n'a jamais existé dans l'histoire du pays.
Zambia achieved its independence on October 24, 1964. At the time of
independence Zambia was rich in material and financial resources, but almost
destitute in developed human resources. Recognizing the importance of
education for a highly skilled work force, the government focussed on
thedevelopment of educated manpower. This was done through expansion of
learning institutions, revision of the educational system and curricula. To
date Zambia has two Universities and several institutes and Colleges. The
recession triggered by the rise in oil prices in 1973 caused a levelling off
and then a decline in the share of national resources going to education. Both
developed and developing countries experienced this kind of down turn, but
the latter were more severely affected. In Zambia this was compounded by
the fall in copper prices and rampant inflation. Several adjustments had to
be made in the distribution of educational resources. Accompanying these
adjustments was the tendency to rely on sources outside the government. This
led the Zambian government eventually to resort to borrowing from
multilateral and bilateral agencies for major public projects and for
general budgetary support. As the balance of payments deficit grew, the
government turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Structural
Adjustment Programme, a facility offered by the IMF, places conditions which
are viewed as having adversely affected the educational sector. However, the
IMF's structural adjustment picture has become clearer since 1991 with the
full adoption of all measures proposed for stabilizing the economy. In view
of the above background it is clear that the present-day educational
provisions are to a large extent in response to external stimuli rather than
local initiatives. The University of Zambia opened in March, 1966 with 310
full-time students. It now admits 900 to 1100 full-time students on a year
in addition to 200 students for correspondence courses. Because of the highly
developed industrial and mining sector, the Zambian government gives priority
to the sciences in terms of enrollment and resources.
The current school curriculum in Zambia addresses some elements of basic
space science. A topic known as Universe 1 is taught in grade 5 of the
primary school syllabus. This topic introduces simple ideas of the solar
system, features of the earth, moon, sun and stars. In grade 8 of the
secondary school syllabus is taught Universe 2, which is a further study of
the solar system and elementary cosmology. Besides the University of Zambia
there is no other Institution dealing with elements of basic space science.
The Physics Department of the University of Zambia at one time had a
geophysics group which has since disbanded. The Department mounted a
telescope on its roof which unfortunately is now nonoperational. There is
another telescope at one of the University of Zambia colleges, Nkrumah
Teachers College. Courses in remote sensing are offered by the Geography
and Land Survey departments.
An extra constraint is always very useful in physics because it decreases
the number of variables you have to worry about, which in turn decreased
theamount of work that you have to do! Unfortunately the reverse holds in this
case because a lot of work will have to be done to overcome the constraints
below:
- The bad economic situation - Though the relationship between the
economic decline and efforts to define and implement the objectives of
education is complex, it is clear from the Zambian experience that
curriculum development under a declining economy is biasedtowards the
development of existing structures and processes but draws back from
anything more ambitious.
- The current structure of education is highly dependent on donor
funding; consequently development outside donor interest is hardly
sustainable.
Recently the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Zambia
diversified its offerings with a new spectrum of courses to make the science
degree more flexible and attractive. The Physics Department holds a unique
position in the School. A basic level of physics is required by anyone
wishing to study any science subject or mathematics. The department offers
new courses in the fields of energy and environment, computational physics and
applied optics. Prospects for promotion of the basic space science disciplines,
astronomy in particular, are therefore great. There is also potential to
strengthen and expand the existing Universe topics for the senior secondary
school syllabus.
The Zambian Astronomical Society was recently established as an amateur
astronomical organisation. It will be an affiliate of the Working Group
on Space Science and Technology in Zambia (WGSSTZ) which was
established and launched in 1999 at the University of Zambia.
Among the objectives of the Society is to promote scientific cooperation and exchange
of scientific information with the international community. In accordance
with the above, one of us (Adrian Habanyama)
attended the 1998 South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)
Summer School. This will undoubtedly assist the society greatly. Adrian,
on his own and the Society's behalf, wishes to thank the SAAO for their
sponsorship and the invaluable knowledge, material and other forms of
support given to the Society. The Society intends to put up a telescope
sometime this year. It will be used for teaching and simple research
activities. The funds for this venture have not fully been realized and the
Society appeals for assistance from both local and international sources.
Physics is a marvellous algorithm explaining material phenomena in terms of
the building blocks of the Universe and their interaction. It is however
instructive to describe the context within which it can be appreciated in
the Zambian situation. Physics, as the late Abdus Salam poignantly
recognised, is a science of wealth creation as opposed to chemistry and
biology, which, though as important fordevelopment, may be classed as
``survival sciences.'' Together they provide the survival basis of food
production and pharmaceutical expertise. Physics, though the most
fundamental of sciences, assumes the next level of sophistication with its
intimate connection with modern high technology. If a nation wants to
become wealthy in the conditions of today, it must acquire a high degree of
expertise in physics both pure and applied. Herein lies the importance of
Astronomy in development for it is a proven fact, the world over, that as an
educational tool astronomy is unsurpassed in its ability to stimulate young
minds intocareers in science and technology. Astronomy has always been a
rich source of phenomena for the physicist, and provides a whole range of
exotic processes that can throw light on almost every branch of physics.
Here, too, lies the future but to accept the future we must, as Zambians,
renounce much of the past, a formidable challenge indeed. Even brilliant
scientists can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truths if they be
such as to contradict principles learned as children. The problems are
formidable and it may be that this frontier may well turn out to be our most
challenging legacy. To the members of the Society and all Zambians with
whom we share this picture of great scientific beauty of which we are all a
part, it is perhaps appropriate to conclude with words pinned on Dave
Kilkenny's board at SAAO, ``It seems like only yesterday that we were calling
today tomorrow.''
WGSSA
2000-02-24