BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi Government, through the ministry of education, has advised teachers of both secondary and primary schools to resume work, arguing the government is already implementing the presented grievances.

Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) ordered teachers across the country to be on sit in as one way of forcing government to respond to their longstanding issues including the invigilation allowances for Malawi School Certificate of Education and arrears for promoted primary school teachers.

But speaking on MBC radio 1 on Monday, spokesperson for ministry of Education Manfred Ndovie , asked the teachers to call off the sit in saying the treasury has released money for the teachers who invigilated in the past Malawi School Certificate of Education amounting to K900 million.

Treasury has also funded the ministry money amounting to K108 million for promoted primary school teachers who were promoted but were never sent to their new duty stations.

“We have actually started transferring these teachers and the money is for their disturbance allowance and transport costs,” he said.

He said primary school teachers who were promoted in 2013 but had their promotions put on hold unless someone on the same position died or resigned will have their arrears during the September month end.

“We will give them personal to holder promotions until we normalise the situation but we will pay them their arrears because Treasury has released K128 million for this,” he said.

However, Maravi Post snap survey in some schools found that there was lack of cooperation on the part of teachers during the Monday’s sit in.

In Neno district, teaching was normal in most primary schools. For instance, a visit to Chikonde Model primary school found that all classes were conducted while at Chikonde Community Day Secondary School and Chiwale Secondary, only few teachers attended the students.

Maravi Post has also established that District Education Managers were behind the flop of the constitutional industrial action as they pretended to head teachers to have not received official communication.

Well-placed sources indicate that most DEMs did not furnish the head teachers with official letter on the sit in although TUM is reported to have distributed the letters to all relevant authorities including the police.

Teachers in Malawi are always taken for granted.Meanwhile, officials from Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) are blaming chief secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet George Mkondiwa for the prolonged and endless problems affecting teachers in the country.

“As the head of civil service, he has the power to resolve these issues without us resorting to industrial action,” said TUM secretary general Muwake Chaulukahe as quoted by the local media.