Malawi’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has cautioned teachers planning to go for upgrading courses that it shall not grant leave, paid or unpaid, in the middle of a school calendar.
In a recent circular, the ministry has also informed teachers that for the time being, it shall grant permission for study leave to only those who will study languages, mathematics, and sciences and their applications have been duly authorised.
The circular has caused panic among teachers, who already attended interviews in various colleges and were successful.
Executive director of Civil Society Education Coalition, Benedicto Kondowe, described the circular as counterproductive considering that there are already few opportunities for teachers to upgrade in the country.
“Instead, the ministry should support such initiatives [upgrading] because it is the beneficiary. But the blanket circular is counterproductive and this will continue to demotivate teachers,” he said.
Principal Secretary for basic and secondary education, Anjimile Mtila Oponyo, in a circular dated April 18, but has only reached most schools last week, says it has come to the attention of the ministry that teachers are enrolling into various universities and leaving en masse without regard to the disruption caused to teaching and learning process.
“It has been noted that most of these courses commence in the middle of the school year, thereby leaving students without teachers. This as you can appreciate, negatively affects learners’ performance as they are having, either to go without a teacher for a given subject or are having to change teachers midway. This is regrettable and not healthy development in the system.
“The ministry would, therefore, like to inform all teachers planning to go for upgrading that from now on, it shall not grant leave, paid or unpaid, to teachers who take upon themselves to leave for such trainings in the middle of the school year,” says Oponyo in the statement.
The circular copied to all division, district managers and head teachers clarifies why the ministry shall only grant permission for study leave to those who will be going to study languages, mathematics, and sciences.
