LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Education has recruited and promoted 9,753 secondary school teachers in a bid to increase access to quality education.
In a press statement dated February 19, 2024, signed by the Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa says the ministry has recruited 2,681 and promoted 2,259 teachers at Grade TI and TJ respectively.
The statement adds that the ministry has promoted 3,997 teachers to Senior Teachers/ Heads of Department (Grade TH), 316 teachers to the position of Heads of Department (Grade TG), and 500 teachers to Head Teachers (Grade TG).
“The Government of Malawi and its development partners have embarked on an expansion drive through the construction of new secondary schools and the upgrading of existing ones,” reads the statement in part.
Musa adds further that the government’s intensification of more double-shift schools and the expansion of open secondary schools, all ensure easy access to secondary education.
Echoed the same, The ministry’s spokesperson, Mphatso Mkuonera, says “This is part of the government’s plan to address some of the challenges facing the education sector, such as the shortage of teachers in the country’s public schools”.
Meanwhile, all newly recruited teachers are being requested to report at their respective education divisions on Monday, February 26, 2024.
In a related development, the Ministry of Education has also released a selection list for the 19th cohort of the Initial Primary Teacher Education (IPTE 19) intake.
The selected candidates have been requested to report to their respective colleges on Sunday, February 25, 2024 in readiness for classes which will commence on Monday, February 26, 2024.
IPTE 13 Teachers currently serving as auxiliary teachers in public schools have petitioned the Ministry of Education, demanding automatic recruitment.
Having worked as auxiliary teacher for some months, the teachers feel that the scheduled interviews are not necessary as they have already demonstrated that they are capable.
“We would like to remind your ministry and all responsible departments, we as IPTE 13 teachers we are fully competent and legible to work as teachers anywhere here in Malawi without any obligations hence qualified,” reads the letter in part.
The teachers say they do not see any reason for them to go and attend interviews when they were hired as auxiliary teachers without interviews.
The teachers further said they can foresee corruption and abuse of office by some office bearers especially when recruiting female teahcers.
The teachers also fear that s some politicians would abuse the process by employing their relatives.
District councils across the country are expected to conduct interviews for the IPTE 13 teachers next week.
The teachers who were trained in different teaching institutions were put on Five months contract from February to June, 2021 and were pledged to be fully employed by the ministry once the contract comes to an end.
Malawians appalled with Mibawa TV presenter Chawezi Banda’s remarks against teachers’ risk allowances
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawians across the country have expressed their disappointment with Mibawa Television presenter Steve Banda for uttering insensitive remarks against teachers’ demand for risk allowances as the government plans to reopen all schools amid covid-19 spike.
Government closed all schools, colleges and universities in March this year before registering any case as one way of containing the spread of the novel Coronavirus which has wreaked havoc across the world.
But after doing a cost-benefit analysis in regards to closure of schools, the government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, has been forced to re-open schools though the covid-19 cases are currently on the rise.
In a press statement titled “Path to reopening of schools, universities and colleges”, the education ministry indicated risk allowances as one of the challenges as they plan resumption of classes in the country.
But during a popular talk-show programme called Gwede Gwede host Steve Banda with guest Chawezi Banda said the teachers do not deserve risk allowances arguing the demands are coming because the new administration of Lazarus Chakwera has set a bad precedence of bowing down to any demands.
“Where the risk is coming in for teachers? Unlike health workers who handle patients teachers will be handling healthy students. I think they are just taking advantage of the precedence of bowing down to any demands by the current government,” Steve Banda argued.
Reacting, Malawians have accused the Mibawa Television for being agents of teachers’ oppression considering that Malawi Prison Services workers are also receiving allowances though they are not handling patients as per Steve Banda’s ‘irrational’ argument.
“These journalists must read widely if they avoid making such embarrassing remarks. What I witnessed yesterday on Mibawa TV was one example of convoluted synthesis of information by our journalists in the country.
“I did not such insensitive remarks from Mibawa TV on that very important matter. If we are to reopen schools, teachers are the main stakeholders and jibing at their demands for risk allowances is one way of frustrating government efforts to have a safe reopening of the education institutions. Risk allowances is a matter between employer and employees so it is very strange for a third party to intervene in such a manner,” said one Blantyre resident who identified himself as Chifunda Mbinga.
He added: “If Chawezi Banda and Steve Banda say teachers are not at risk, I am sure they were in Mars when the governments across the world ordered closure of schools. If they were on planet earth by the time Peter Mutharika ordered a closure of schools they would know the reason why teachers deserve risk allowances when schools reopen.
“Unlike doctors, teachers are not trained to handle diseased people so any exposure to such an environment becomes a risk.”
In a statement circulating on social media, primary and secondary school teachers have demanded immediate apology from the two presenters and the management of Mibawa TV.
“MIBAWA TV must appologise teachers!!! Teachers are human beings who deserve good working conditions just like any other civil servants. The schools were among the closed institutions because teachers are always at risk of any infectious diseases that may come on their way from learners or visitors who may be of different healthy backgrounds.
“Now Mibawa TV is undermining the significance of paying teachers risk allowances through their program known as “Gwedegwede” presented by Steve Kondwa Banda and his guest. Don’t take teachers quietness for granted. We saw prison officers staging strikes in the process of forcing the previous government to give them risk allowances. Did your media condemned our fellow civil servants? What justification for their demonstrations convinced you? Are they health workers? reads the statement.
“We witnessed patients in various health centres and hospitals unattended due to strikes by health personnel demanding the then government to provide them PPEs and risk allowances. They demanded risk allowances yet they have PPEs at their disposal. What made you silent on the same? Now that schools are opening you expect teachers to be quite even though they will be exposed to different learners from different walks of life. And this is not risking their lives? Are you telling me that the life of the other civil servants is more precious than that of teachers? Do you hate teachers or you are among the ones promoting their hard working conditions? Do you feel happy seeing teachers kicking the backets due to TB caused by their exposure to chalk dusts and other numerous risks?” the statement reads further.
Responding, Mibawa TV management has indicated that it is addressing the issue.
“The issue about the teachers being challenged on their request for a risk allowance by our journalists is being addressed between Mibawa Management and the Teachers Union of Malawi. The teachers will be given a platform to make their case. If we stop people from giving their opinion, we stop the opportunity for debate and growth of our nation. We believe teachers will understand this more than anyone else,” reads the statement on their official facebook page.
However, one facebook user has described the Mibawa TV management statement as a display of arrogance and distorted meaning of freedom of opinion.
“Freedom of opinion is fine. …but whereby that opinion is aiming at discrediting other people or professionals I think that’s not fine . Government closed schools saying such work places could be more risky to both the staff and students and here we have a “professional ” journalist underrating the risk and say no need to compensate these teachers. Shame on the journalist. ..shame on the TV for being arrogant,” responded Fanuel Kachiwuondo.
Government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has abolished the restriction of dreadlocks and hijubs in all public schools, The Maravi Post has established.
According to a letter signed by the Secretary of the Ministry Education Science and Technology Ken Ndala, addressed to education institutions and all school headmasters/mistresses in Malawi, the permit follows the advise from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The letter reads in part, that the Education Ministry that (the previous) restriction was discriminatory to learners in dreadlocks and or hijubs.
The letter reminds education institutions, parents and headmasters that the country’s Constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination.
“Section 20 prohibits discrimination of any form to a citizen, while section 25 provides the right to education for very Malawian and section 33, provides the right to freedom of conscience, religion and thought,” added the letter.
Apart from that, the letter says the Education Act (2013) section 4, mandates the ministry of education to promote education for all people irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability or other discriminatory characteristics.
“The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is therefore, informing all education institutions and school headmasters to make sure that enforcement of the dress code takes into account matters of discipline, hygiene, attire and grooming,” reads the letter.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi teachers through Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) have threatened to go on strike monthly if the Ministry of Education fails to meet salary payment deadline starting from March , 2017.
The announcement comes amid salaries delay for the month of January which some teachers in other districts including Chitipa have not yet received their dues.
TUM leadership including its president Chauluka Muwake and secretary general Denis Kalekeni disclosed this during a news conference held on Friday night in the capital Lilongwe.
They argued that the monthly sit in will be effected to the affected districts.
Kalekeni: pay point migration has affected the release of the salaries
Among other key grievances TUM wants the ministry to honour outstanding MK250 million salary arrears, payment of 2016/2017 fiscal year leave grant, insertion on payroll of some IPTE 8 and ODL 3 teachers who haven’t received salaries since April 2016.
Both Muwake and Kalekeni whose last year’s call for national wide strike over similar challenges did not materialize, have hinted that the current issues will be handled in districts as the ministry is implementing decentralization of salary payment.
Although appreciating the ministry decision on payment decentralization, Tum noted with concerns of implementing the system without analyzing its challenges arguing that it has tormented and tortured teachers due to delayed disbursement of January salaries.
The teachers’ body added that the salary woes could have been avoided if government took heed of its advice of implementing the program in phases by going through education divisions.
TUM has therefore threatened and demanded all teachers to go on strike every month when they do not get salaries in time effective March 1, 2017.
“TUM won’t allow such type of barbaric treatment of teachers to take root and teachers are obligated under all means to curb this cruelty. And the only way is for teachers to withdraw labor on the first day of the following month if salaries haven’t been paid”, warned Muwake.
On MK250 million salary arrears and payment of 2016/2017 fiscal year leave grant, the teachers’ body threatened also to go on sit-in effective May 2, 2017 if payment will not be paid by end of April 2017.
TUM has hinted that the measures put in place to address teachers’ challenges were arrived at after negotiations with government for several times proved futile.
“The union’s core duty is to impartially and passionately fight for the teachers’ welfare using all applicable constitutional means particularly in the wake of the current dilly-dallying techniques being employed by government on the already impoverished and heartbroken teachers. The ball remains in the government’s court”, said TUM
There was no immediate reaction from Ministry of Education spokesperson Lindiwe Chide as she was out of reach when contacted for several times.
