There are over 1 million orphans in the country, half of whom live in conditions of extreme poverty. These poverty conditions compromise children's futures because they cannot afford basic education despite the "Free Primary Education" policy. This study was carried out in Lusaka. 180 orphans and non-orphans were compared to find out whether orphans were more disadvantaged than non-orphans. The study investigated the family structures of orphans, quality of education they received, how far

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... ns go in their education, government policy and its role in aiding education, the impact of free basic education policy, and the socioeconomic aspects affecting educational performance and achievements. 3 types of schools were identified; private, community and government schools. 3 private, 3 government and 3 community schools were selected using systematic random sampling to come up with 9 schools in total. 180 pupils were selected from the 9 schools and a questionnaire administered to them. Of these pupils, 60 were from private, another 60 from community and the last 60 from government schools.