MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
SECONDARY SCHOOL CAREER PATHWAYS AND SUBJECT COMBINATIONS - AN
EXTRACT FROM THE 2023 FINAL AND APPROVED CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK
By Gershom Mumba
A. ORDINARY LEVEL (O’ LEVEL)
1. NATURAL SCIENCES (NS)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 BIOLOGY 4 Hours 6
4 CHEMISTRY 4 Hours 6
5 PHYSICS 4 Hours 6
6 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
7 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
TOTAL 26 HOURS 40
2. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE (AS)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
4 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE (Core Subject) 8 hours 12
4 CHEMISTRY 4 Hours 6
5 PHYSICS 4 Hours 6
7 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
TOTAL 30 hrs, 40 min 46
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3. TECHNOLOGY (TECH)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
4 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY/COMPUTER SCIENCE (Core Subject) 8 hours 12
4 CHEMISTRY 4 Hours 6
5 PHYSICS 4 Hours 6
7 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
TOTAL 30 hrs, 40 min 46
4. HOME ECONOMICS AND HOSPITALITY (HEH)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
FASHION AND FABRICS/FOOD AND NUTRITION/HOME
4 MANAGEMENT (Core Subject) 8 hours 12
5 BIOLOGY 4 Hours 6
6 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
7 CHEMISTRY/TRAVEL AND TOURISM 3hrs 20min/8 Hrs 5/12
8 FRENCH/CHINESE/PORTUGUESE/SWAHILI 3hrs 20min 5
TOTAL
5. SOCIAL SCIENCES (SS)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
4 GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY/RE (Core Subject) 3hrs 20min 5
5 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS – Choose one from each category below
LIT IN ENG/ZAM LANG/LIT IN ZAM
7 LANG/FRENCH/CHINESES/PORTUGUESE/SWAHILI 3hrs 20min 5
8 BIOLOGY/CHEMISTRY/PHYSICS 4 Hours 6
TOTAL 25 hrs, 20 min 38
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6. BUSINESS STUDIES AND FINANCE (BSF)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
4 PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTS (Core Subject) 3hrs 20min 5
5 COMMERCE (Core Subject) 3hrs 20min 5
6 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS – Choose any one
7 BIOLOGY/CHEMISTRY/PHYSICS 4 Hours 6
TOTAL 25 hrs, 20 min 38
7. PERFORMING AND CREATIVE ARTS (PCA)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
4 ART AND DESIGN/MUSIC (Core Subject) 8 hours 12
5 ZAMBIAN LANGUAGE 3hrs 20min 5
6 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS – Choose any one
7 LIT IN ENGLISH/LIT IN ZAMBIAN LANGUAGES 3hrs 20min 5
TOTAL 29 hrs, 20 min 44
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8. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS (PES)
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
HOURS PER PERIODS PER
SUBJECT WEEK WEEK
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE 4 Hours 6
2 MATHEMATICS 4 Hours 6
3 CIVIC EDUCATION 3hrs 20min 5
4 BIOLOGY 4 Hours 6
5 PHYSICAL EDUCATION (Core Subject) 8 Hours 12
6 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 3hrs 20min 5
7 OPTIONAL SUBJECTS – Choose one from any category below
(a) GEOGRAPHY/HISTORY/RE 3hrs 20min 5
(b) CHEMISTRY/PHYSICS 4 Hours 6
TOTAL 25 hrs, 20 min 38
Take note of the following on Ordinary Level (O’ Level) Secondary Education System
(i) Ordinary Secondary School Level shall run from Form 1 to 4.
(ii) The O’ Level Secondary School Education System shall have Eight (8) Career
Pathways as follows: Natural Sciences , Agricultural Science, Technology, Home
Economics and Hospitality, Social Sciences, Business Studies and Finance, Performing
and Creative Arts and Physical Education and Sports.
(iii) Schools shall offer specialized O’ Level and A’ Level pathways depending on the
guidelines that shall be provided, based on the availability of staff, infrastructure
and equipment.
(iv) A period for a lesson, under the Ordinary Secondary School Level shall be 40 minutes
per period.
(v) Each career pathway at O’ Level shall have a maximum of 7 subjects, except for the
Home Economics and Hospitality (HEH) pathway which may have up to 8 subjects.
(vi) Learners at Ordinary Secondary School Level shall take a minimum of 6 and
maximum of 7 subjects, except for those in the HEH career pathway who may take
up to a maximum of 8 subjects.
(vii) Learners taking Practical Subjects such as Information and Communication
Technology, Computer Science, Fashion and Fabrics, Food and Nutrition, Travel and
Tourism, Home Management, Agricultural Science, Design and Technology, Art and
Design, Music, and Physical Education, shall be given an option to sit for Trade Test
Certificate Examinations offered by TEVETA.
(viii) Financial literacy and Entrepreneurship has been integrated in carrier subjects and
shall be offered to ALL learners.
B. ADVANCE LEVEL (A’ LEVEL)
Take note of the following on Advanced Level (A’ Level) Secondary Education System
(i) Advanced Secondary School Level shall run from Form 5 to 6.
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(ii) The A’ Level Secondary School Education System shall have Five (5) Career Pathways
as follows: STEM, Social Sciences and Languages, Performing and Creative Arts.
Business Studies and Sports Science.
(iii) Entry point for candidates into A Level shall be a School Certificate or its equivalent,
with 3 credits or better, in the area of specialization.
(iv) In each A’ Level career pathway, learners shall take a minimum of 3 and maximum
of 4 subjects.
(v) Teachers to handle A’ Levels shall have a minimum of a bachelors’ degree in that
area of specialization/teaching area.
ADVANCED LEVEL CAREER PATHWAYS
Guidance shall be provided on the subject combination, based on the pathway.
1. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)
(i) Biology
(ii) Physics
(iii) Chemistry
(iv) Agricultural Science
(v) Computer Science
(vi) Mathematics
(vii) Design and Technology
(viii) Fashion and Fabrics
(ix) Food and Nutrition
(x) Hospitality Management
(xi) Travel and Tourism
2. SOCIAL SCIENCES AND LANGUAGES
(i) Geography
(ii) Civic Education
(iii) History
(iv) Religious Education
(v) English Language
(vi) Literature in English
(vii) Zambian Language
(viii) French/Chinese/Portuguese/Swahili
3. BUSINESS STUDIES
(i) Economics
(ii) Accounting
(iii) Commerce
4. SPORTS SCIENCE
(i) Physical Education
5. PERFORMING AND CREATIVE ARTS
(i) Art and Design
(ii) Music
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