Mw needs 52 000 moreteachers to match ratio

Malawi needs to recruit over 52 000 teachers to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio and improve education standards.

This is according to the 2024/25 budget analysis which local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) presented in Lilongwe on Friday.

The NGO Coalition on Child Rights led the analysis formulation with Save the Children, World Vision, Plan International, SOS and Unicef among the participants.

“The country needs to recruit more teachers to reach a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:40,” the analysis reads in part, observing that the 1: 6 ratio is “very high”

Early Childhood Development Coalition national coordinator Joylet Genda presented the report which focused on child sensitive sectors such as education, health, protection and climate change.

“Government should recruit at least 10 000 teachers annually to bridge the gap by 2030,” she said.

The NGOs presented the findings to the Parliamentary Social and Community Affairs and Local Authorities and Rural Development Cluster.

The analysis was themed; ‘Towards Public Investments in Child Sensitive Social Sector Spending in Malawi.’

Its co-chairperson Savel Kafwafwa acknowledged the challenges facing different children and said he will take them to Parliament.

The Ministry of Education mid last month announced that it recruited 2 681 teachers while promoting hundreds others.