President Hakainde Hichilema has attributed Zambia’s record 70 percent Grade 12 pass rate to the free education policy introduced by his administration. The milestone marks the first time since independence that the country has recorded such a high success rate. Education Minister Douglas Syakalima announced on Tuesday that 70.26 percent of Grade 12 candidates obtained the School Certificate in 2025, up from 68.19 percent in 2024. “Because we care for them, we deliver free education. For many years in opposition, we used to say education is not a cost but an investment,” President Hichilema said.