History Of LICEF School
Founded primarily for the benefit of Muslim children but open to any non-Muslim, LICEF traces its roots back to 1981 but all started when Mr Yusuf ‘Doc’ Patel and Dr. Mohamed Patel took the initiative of establishing the Metropolitan Nursery Madressa in 1977. Little did they know that they had taken the first step that would culminate in the establishment of the Licef Nursery & Primary School and formation of LICEF School because in reality, the ‘founding’ of LICEF School truly took place in that year with a small class in the Club House. The Metros Nursery was a success in its very first year and plans were already being made to incorporate five classrooms into the Community Hall project which were already on the drawing board at that time. It was therefore no surprise that a few enthusiastic members of the Club Executive soon felt that the Nursery could be expanded into a primary school as well.
The sturdy growth of the School saw the Club Executive experience some difficulties in the running of the school which led to it inviting the Makeni Islamic Society to help in the management of the school. Although the Makeni Islamic Society had positively responded to the Club’s request for help, it was soon felt that such form of management was not an effective solution. The Club therefore organised a meeting on the 19th of May, 1981 to which it invited a cross-section of concerned Muslims of Lusaka. The Lusaka Muslim Society, with Mr. M.G. Dalal as the spokesman, sponsored a proposal of creating a new body involving the Club, the Makeni Islamic Society and the Lusaka Muslim Society. These would be the founder bodies more directly concerned in the running of the school. To broaden the base and outlook of the proposed new body, it was also suggested that other Lusaka based bodies like the Islamic Educational Trust of Zambia, the Lusaka Muslim Association, the Islamic Youth Organization etc, be invited. An ad-hoc Committee was formed which was entrusted with the task of creating this new body and take over the affairs of the School.
The school continued to grow and expand that by January 1984, a grade 4 class had commenced. In March 1984, the School was formally granted the approval certificate by the Ministry of Education and by July 1984 (which signified the third anniversary of LICEF), the hall – a massive structure painstakingly built, had been completed. At the same time the first phase of the new school block had been completed.
The school today comprises of a pre-school, primary and secondary section on one campus with a total enrolment in the region of 1000 plus.
