Written by Ivy Tunkete Mwanyongo:
Concerned unemployed IPTE14 and 15 teachers have expressed disappointment over the Ministry of Education’s decision to offer them a one-year temporary contract.
This follows an announcement by Secretary for Education, Rachel Chimbwete Phiri that the ministry will engage 4, 200 auxiliary teachers to be placed in 34 education districts across the country, under the Malawi Education Reform Programme (MERP).
According to Phiri, the move is part of the government’s efforts to reduce the pupil-qualified teacher ratio in public schools.
But the group through its Chairperson, Wonderful Gama wants to be employed permanently, claiming they have been unemployed for 3 years.
The group has also raised concerns over the criteria used by local councils when employing them, alleging that the process is marred with irregularities.
Gama said, “I feel like the Ministry of Education is not helping us because the councils are failing to manage the recruitment process as it is required to be”.
“The government knows the actual number of teachers needed in every district, and it could have just recruited us directly unlike leaving the process to be managed by the councils”, added Gama.
Meanwhile, the group has since indicated that it will write a letter to President Dr Lazarus Chakwera to consider their queries and if their request will not be considered, they will resort to demonstrations.
The engaged auxiliary teachers are expected to report at their respective workstations on October 13th, 2023, and failure to report by October 27th, 2023, will lead to automatic withdrawal of the offer of engagement.
