Teachers in the Dowa, Mzimba, and Ntchisi districts have commended the Malawi Education Reforms Programme (MERP) for improved teaching and learning experiences in schools. In Dowa, the Head Teacher for Senga Local Education Authority (LEA), Rodgers Phiri commended the program for improving operations of the school through the Primary School Improvement Grants (PSIG) which is running under MERP. “Before this programme, we were running out of teaching materials such as chalk, scheme pads, and stationary and we could see some of our pupils dropping out of school due to lack of school uniforms and notebooks, but now PSIG has smoothened the operations of our school as we can procure our teaching and learning material through the funding,” Phiri said. He added that the grant has also improved the hygiene of the schools as they are constructing two eco toilets which will benefit the school and the community with manure. “Initially we had 18 toilets, 10 for girls and eight for boys but we thought it wise to use the grant to add two more toilets since we have a total of 3,143 learners at the school. “We have also managed to plant trees at the school compound to preserve our environment through the same funding. This programme is doing a lot to improve education in our school,” Phiri added. Maxwell Katema, a parent with two children learning at Senga LEA, commended the ministry for the funding as he anticipates benefits from the eco toilets. “I am grateful to the ministry for the funding as it is not only helping improve the hygiene of the school, but it will also help our community with manure once construction is done,”
Katema said. District Education Manager (DEM) for Ntchisi, Ronex Banda commended MERP for reducing the teacher-to-pupil ratio which has reduced the workload for teachers in the district. “As a district, we are reaping benefits from MERP through the teacher interns that the Ministry of Education recruited last academic year. “Previously, we had a single teacher managing a class of 128 pupils and this made it difficult in terms of supervision as well as marking, and it also affected pupils with special needs, but now the number has reduced to 60 pupils per classroom and teachers can manage the classes properly,” he explained.
Headteacher for Luperere Primary School in Mzimba Hora, Hazwell Mhango, thanked MERP for deploying four teacher interns saying the program has reduced workload and improved teacher-pupil eye contact in class. ” It was hard for only 5 teachers to service all classes, but the coming of four teacher interns under MERP has assisted my school to achieve a 1:60 pupil-teacher ratio, this is very commendable,” Mhango said. He said with a total of 306 learners, the school received its annual PSIG fund pegged at K833,059 which has cushioned the shortage of teaching and learning materials. Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa has confirmed that the ministry is yet to recruit female learner mentors through a process that will be done by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) yet to be hired by MERP through interviews. Recently, the Ministry of Education through MERP with funding from the World Bank recruited 4,125 teacher interns in September 2022 for improved quality education in the country. The Ministry disburses the PSIG funds to schools through councils to be used for development activities per fiscal year. Meanwhile, Dowa District received a cumulative MK251, 911,112 which will be disbursed to 244 primary schools, and Ntchisi MK 129, 636, 372 to be disbursed to 152 primary schools.#Education Is Key.