In an effort to improve teachers training by lessening huge costs incurred for recruitment of primary school teachers through Initial Primary Teacher Education (IPTE), ministry of education has introduced the tuition fees for candidates to pay for their studies.
The development comes after the same ministry abandoned Open Distance Learning (ODL) system of recruitment some months ago due to large number of trained teachers who were unable to be absolved into government workforce.
Speaking in an interview with Manfred Ndolvi, Ministry of Education’s spokes person confirmed the development to Maravi Post on Monday saying the tuition fees would be introduced in IPTE 11 intake starting June, 2015 catering across teachers training colleges.
Ndolvi said tuition fees introduction aimed at lessening government on heavy costs which were incurred for training over 4,000 teachers annually with a cost of MK556,000 for each student.
“With the Malawi’s current economic turmoil, government through wide consultations decided to introduce the tuition fees students will start paying as a contribution towards their studies which will be off course affordable to an ordinary Malawian in the village. The fees will assist the ministry beefing up its learning and teaching materials such computers, books.
“Indeed government has an obligation to provide free social services to its citizen but in this case the burden is so huge to continue with free training hence the introduction of the tuitions fees. Although, consultations are still underway on this arrangement but the tuition will be less than MK100,000 for each student to attain the trainings.
“This arrangement won’t affect those already recruited but those in the June, 2015 intake because as they will be told upon shortlisted for them to prepare. In this regard, no student will choose where to be deployed. The ministry will continue with the usual deployment as is still the employer”, outlines Ndolvi.
Ndolvi assured inspiring candidates of better quality trainings saying there shouldn’t cause for alarm on the introduction of tuition fees that it be affordable to a village girl and boy to attain teaching studies.
In reaction on this development, Benedicto Kondowe, Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC)’s Executive Director told Maravi Post that such arrangement required thorough scrutiny considering that the nation introduced non tuition training from tuition as to beef up teacher-pupil ration in schools saying the decision would bring more challenge than the latter if not properly examined.
“We sincerely agree on the costs government bare in training students but it shouldn’t be a reason for introduction of tuition fees. The better way of doing this was to introduce tuition fees to those sponsored by private schools as they don’t have enough qualified teachers as this could benefit them.
“Government shouldn’t introduce tuition for those earmarked to recruit as this will bring more problems than before in terms of paying of the fees and deployment. With such fees, graduates will have a choice where to work either in government or private sector which will continue to widen the teacher-pupil ratio hence thorough consultation is needed to avoid unforeseen circumstances ahead of this decision
“Currently, government is unable to employ already trained teachers, so with this arrangement will they be able to take them into work force? Though, we haven’t consulted on this as we are hearing from you for the first time, our doors are open to engage government because this will affect our education system which is already in limbo”, says Kondowe.
