Language Teachers’ Association of Zambia (LATAZ)
11th National Conference Review: Mansa 2024
A Strategic Analysis of Teacher Professional Development and Curriculum Implementation.
Executive Summary & Key Metrics
The 11th LATAZ National Conference was successfully held at Don Bosco Secondary School in Mansa from 30th August to 1st September 2024. Despite an earlier postponement, the event was widely regarded as a great success, delivering rich content and pedagogy directly to the teaching community.
912
Total Delegates
(861 Teachers + 51 Administrators)
10/10
Provinces Represented
Ensuring nationwide impact.
79%
Secondary Teacher Delegates
Highest participation demographic.
Delegate Distribution by Level and Province
Distribution by Level:
- Secondary Teachers: 79%
- Primary Teachers: 10%
- Administrators: 6%
- Teacher Trainers: 3%
- ECE Teachers: 2%
The attendance confirmed strong engagement from the core secondary teaching body while highlighting areas for growth in ECE and Primary representation.
Provincial Engagement:
The Copperbelt Province had the highest attendance, followed closely by Luapula (the host province) and Central Province, indicating robust regional mobilization.
Visualizing provincial attendance helps identify successful outreach models for future events.
Key Proceedings and Outcomes
Official Opening and Support
The conference was formally graced by the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Luapula province, lending significant institutional weight to the proceedings. The National Executive Committee extended special thanks to the Permanent Secretary, Director of Standards, Assessment and Evaluation, and various education officers for facilitating delegate travel and logistics.
Pedagogical Value
Presentations were consistently rich in both content and practical pedagogy. The Guest of Honour challenged delegates to ensure the knowledge and materials received would be actively shared across platforms at the school, district, and provincial levels to maximize impact.
Post-Conference Dissemination
Digital assets from the event, including video footage and comprehensive photo galleries, have been made publicly available to extend the reach of the conference beyond the immediate attendees (links provided in the original report).
Official Recommendations for Stakeholders
The following strategic recommendations have been formally submitted to ensure better coordination and sustained professional development opportunities across the country:
- Harmonization of Calendars: The Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) should share its examination marking calendar with subject associations to enable better harmonization and planning for future professional development events.
- Official Communication Protocol: When conference dates require alteration, the Ministry of Education is recommended to convene a formal meeting (virtual or in-person) with affected subject associations for transparent dialogue.
- Encouraging Sponsorship: More private and primary school headteachers should be strongly encouraged to sponsor their ECE and primary school teachers to attend conferences at all levels (district, provincial, and national).
- Bridging Research and Practice: LATAZ seeks to actively engage more public and private colleges and universities to encourage staff attendance, thereby bridging the current gap between academic research and direct classroom practice.
- Institutional Partnership: Quasi-governmental institutions such as the ECZ, the Teaching Council of Zambia, and the Curriculum Development Centre should be encouraged to formalize partnerships with subject associations and attend national conferences to engage directly with teachers regarding their professional services.
- Registration Adherence: Delegates are urged to adhere strictly to online registration deadlines to ensure the association can execute accurate and effective logistical planning.
2024 National Conference Feedback Questionnaire
