Govt yet to improve teacher’s welfare

Government is yet to improve teacher’s welfare in Malawi despite much effort to improve their living standard and conditions.

Treasure General for Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) Mr. Bresters Nyirenda said government is trying all its best to improve teacher’s welfare though it has not yet meet required standard due to several challenges that teachers are still facing in the country.

“The most important problem that teachers are crying is lack of promotion because a good number of teachers have stayed quiet number of years without being promoted”, said Nyirenda.

He added that there are other teachers who have used the very small salaries that they get to obtain diplomas and degrees to upgrade themselves to move from one grade to another but are yet promoted, this demotivates teachers and is very hard to get quality education in this way.
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Commending on the same President for Secondary School Teachers Association (SSTA) Pilirani Kapolo said the life of teachers out there is so hard because they are failing to make ends meet due with current economic challenges.

“Some of challenges that teachers are facing are high teacher- students ration which is 1-60 than the recommended One 1-40, unpaid arias, lack of accomodations and lack of hardship salaries which the government is failing to pay teachers who work in hard to reach areas”, said Kapolo.

He added that the union is always pushing the ministry of education to implement the plans like on issues to do with accommodation for government to have a project that will only focus on building teachers houses, salaries , like hardship allowances and they are lobbying government to implement all these.

Minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wilima said government is working on challenges that teachers are facing but things they are lacking is because government pace is not adequate enough in way that would want to provide but what they should know is they are valued and loved by the government.

World Teachers Day is celebrated on 5 October but Malawi has commemorated on 18th October 2023 in Mzuzu which was graced by the minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wilima with a theme “Teachers For Education We Want”

Teachers from all regions attended the Commemoration.