Written by Richard Kayenda
Some students in the rural areas of the country have asked government to reopen schools, saying accessing lessons through radios and internet is impossible in such areas due to complete lack of the technology.
Learners from the rural areas in the lower Shire districts of Nsanje and Chikhwawa and Mzimba in the north have indicated that their homes have no radios and technological appliances, thereby making access to education utterly impossible.
Meanwhile, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Chikondi Chimala, has said the ministry is still exploring possibilities of reopening schools. He has also indicated that at the meantime, government and other stakeholders are looking into better ways to help the learners.
“As you are aware, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Honourable Dr. William Susuwele Banda, appointed a committee to look into all those issues and that committee comprises of various professionals; experts in their fields: in the education sector, the ministry of health is there, public universities are there and so many institutions. So, the committee is meeting to look at the best possible way of assisting the learners,” said Chimala.
Since 23 March, 2020, schools, colleges and universities have remained closed following President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s declaration of the national State of Disaster due the Covid-19 pandemic.
