“Government to Recruit 1,100 Secondary School Teachers”

The government will recruit 1,100 secondary school teachers as it seeks to address teacher shortages and reduce pupil-teacher ratios amid growing enrolment following the introduction of free secondary education.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka announced the plans on Monday during a press briefing in Lilongwe ahead of the commemoration of World Teachers’ Day.

Msaka said the ministry received 11,000 applications and shortlisted 8,000 candidates for interviews. However, he said budgetary constraints have limited the number of teachers the government can employ to 1,100.

He said the recruitment is part of the government’s broader responsibility to ensure that the expansion of free secondary education is matched with adequate teaching staff.

“It is a responsibility we have to undertake in the coming years. Due to free secondary education, we must make sure we have more and more teachers joining the teaching profession to ensure that we manage class sizes, with an average of 40 to 50 pupils per class,” Msaka said.

The minister also described teachers as the foundation of all professions, noting that doctors, engineers, accountants, lawyers and media professionals are all products of the teaching profession.

He called on government, education stakeholders, alumni and members of the public to find ways of honouring, empowering, celebrating and inspiring teachers.

Msaka further encouraged parents’ associations across the country to recognise teachers who produce good results by rewarding and motivating them.

“We have noticed that in various parts of the country, parents’ associations find means of rewarding teachers who have produced good results. I encourage this to be done across the country,” he said.

He said the ministry would also develop mechanisms to ensure teachers are recognised and motivated through promotions, salary reviews, improved housing and better working conditions, including manageable working hours.

The measures, he said, are aimed at reducing teachers’ workload and creating an environment where they can perform effectively and remain motivated.

World Teachers’ Day is commemorated annually on October 5. The 2026 commemoration is being held under the theme: “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping Our Future.”