By Phillip Pasula
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Education is encouraging schools in the country to establish student councils which it says are key in effective management of the schools.
For so many years, secondary schools in the country have been having prefects in various portfolios but research has shown that student councils are more effective than prefect bodies.
The initiative is slowly being taken on board by schools as evidenced by a workshop that was organised by the Malawi Secondary School Headteachers Association (MASSHA) for Mzuzu City in the Northern Education Division (NED) for headteachers, deputy headteachers and selected teachers who will be patrons and matrons of the student councils.
16 secondary schools from the city were represented at the one day workshop that took place at Katoto Secondary School on Friday and was officially opened by the Education Division Manager for the north, Jennnings Matalambanda Kayira.
In his opening remarks, Kayira said the establishment of student councils in secondary schools in the Northern Education Division (NED) will be key to good governance in secondary schools and it will assist in the smooth administration and management of the schools.
“This initiative is going to bring down the misunderstandings between students and school management because students are going to elect their own representatives through whom they are going to channel their grievances and matters of interest to be discussed in the councils and be forwarded to the school management for redress through patrons and matrons.
“The students will have their voices heard by management through deliberations and resolutions made in the councils. The councils will also be a platform on which issues will be debated, discussed and resolutions agreed upon before being presented to their patrons and matrons for them to forward the matters to the leadership and management of the schools.
This will reduce tension between students and school management thereby promoting smooth running of the schools,” said Kayira who also emphasised that one of the goals of secondary education in Malawi is to train students to be responsible citizens.
MASSHA President for Mzuzu City Chapter, Nellie Chipeta who is headteacher at Luwinga Secondary School, said the workshop was very important in embracing the idea of student councils.
“Student Councils will act as parliaments in secondary schools and through guided democracy, we hope to have well governed and managed schools,” said Chipeta.
