Education experts have urged government to come up with remedial classes or implement academic calendar extensions to assist students affected by school closures due to cyclones.
The experts, Benedicto Kondowe and Limbani Nsapato, made the call in separate interviews yesterday following the closure of all schools from March 10 to March 13 2025, in 16 districts mainly in the Southern Region because of Tropical Storm Jude.
Schools in the Region were also closed for one day in December last year following the emergence of Tropical Storm Chido.
Kondowe, who is Civil Society Education Coalition executive director, said the repeated disruptions can lead to learning gaps, reduced curriculum coverage, and long-term disadvantages, particularly for those preparing for national examinations.
He suggested that government should consider temporary adjustments to the academic calendar to allow students to recover lost time.
He also proposed investments in climate-resilient school infrastructure to reduce the frequency and severity of school closures due to extreme weather conditions.
Kondowe said: “Schools in disaster-prone areas should have contingency plans, including safe learning spaces, remote learning alternatives, and clear guidelines on how to minimize learning disruptions.”
On his part, Nsapato said there is need for schools to come up with remedial lessons so that the affected students can catch up.
“It’s not enough for the learners to use radio or the Internet since access may be limited, especially for those in rural remote areas and those who don’t have gadgets,” he said.
Ministry of Education spokesperson Mphatso Nkuonera said yesterday that the ministry already demands of schools to offer remedial classes to students, and these are monitored by district education managers.
However, in the announcement about the closure of schools on Sunday, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Rachel Chimbwete Phiri said primary school students would be assisted through radio education programmes while secondary school students can access educational content online.
Districts which have been affected by the school closure include Phalombe, Blantyre, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Machinga, Mangochi, and Dedza.
Meanwhile, MET said yesterday that Tropical Cyclone Jude was still centred over Southern Malawi, with the likelihood of bringing more rains and damaging winds.
