October 5, Malawians celebrated the country’s unsung heroes—teachers.
The World Teacher Day honours their tireless efforts to inspire generations.
Some teachers in Malawi serve up to 100 learners in many classrooms instead of less than 60, as prescribed by the Ministry of Education.
The overwhelmed workforce constitutes the backbone of the country’s underfunded education system and their impact extends beyond the crowded classrooms.
Amid numerous shortages, dedicated teachers transform learners who look up to them for life-changing lessons.
This is the story of Yesaya Kaunda, the mathematics teacher at Matenga Primary School in Dedza District. He has earned acclaim, cash prizes and a residential plot for helping over 150 of 155 Standard Eight pupils score distinctions in this year’s Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations.
“I work hard because teaching is a calling for me,” he says. “The students are doing well because they are hardworking. They have a strong collaboration with teachers and school management.”
Kaunda personifies dedicated teachers who work extra hours and punch above their weight for children to get quality education despite numerous setbacks.
“My goal is to ensure students love what they learn, believe in their ability and succeed in everything they do. I want to leave no one behind,” he says.
Kaunda’s passion has yielded excellent results for three years on the trot, with his school ranking the best in the subject
Such stories inspire the likes of Feggie Mwale, the headteacher of Ngumbe Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Blantyre District.
Her innovative approaches and unwavering commitment to student success catapulted her to the top of the school seven years ago.
The teacher with 23 years’ experience found the CDSS in dilapidated state.
“When I arrived here, I found a good school with badly battered buildings. I had to find a way to revamp it,” she says.
As government grappled to provide ample resources for increased enrolment from free primary schools, Mwale explored solutions elsewhere.
“ I wrote several international organisations to fund our school and engaged the surrounding community to help solve some of the challenges,“ she explains.
The appeal swayed Ecobank and Classroom Africa to support the constrained school.
The sorry state personified the gaps in CDSSs that mostly absorb children from poor families who do not make it to well-off schools and cannot afford tuition in private institutions.
“CDSSs are neglected with poor infrastructure and limited school supplies, yet the poor need quality education too. They deserve an enabling atmosphere to learn and compete with their peers in conventional schools,” Mwale says.
The school now has smart classrooms where learners use digital tablets.
Form Two student Lilian Mbewe is delighted with the experience.
“Classes are more interactive and easy to understand since we use tablets that clearly display pictures, videos and diagrams,” she says.
Mbewe says her class performance has improved since the introduction of digital learning.
Mathematics teacher Harry Luka says the smart classroom have created a favourable environment for teaching and learning.
“The visual aids help students understand complex concepts with ease,” he says.
The headteacher teaches tailoring and fashion designing to equip students with entrepreneurial skills.
“We want students who cannot make it to university to use the skills for survival as they search for other openings,” says Mwale.
These sessions occur even during holidays.
Tailoring teacher Victoria Malisawo says the lessons give learners opportunities to hone skills they can use to lift themselves out of poverty.
“These days, vocational skills pay more than some white-collar jobs,” she explains.
The school achieved a 96 percent pass rate in Junior Certificate of Education and 62 percent in the MSCE exams.
Experts are concerned about low pass rates in many CDSS due to inadequate resources, including qualified teachers, stocked libraries and laboratories.
In its World Teachers’ Day statement, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation says over 63 million teachers worldwide work tirelessly to educate over 1.5 billion students, but have to do with inadequate resources and overcrowded classrooms.
This year ’s theme, Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education.
The catch line underscores the importance of teachers’ perspectives in shaping educational policies and a supportive environment for teaching and learning.
