Three years after the operationalisation of the Teachers’ Council of Malawi (TCM), thousands of educators across public and private schools remain unlicensed—raising concerns over compliance and the quality of education.
According to the Ministry of Education, Malawi has over 100 000 primary school teachers and 18 000 secondary school teachers. However, TCM registrar Grace Chakwera recently disclosed that only 72 313 primary school teachers and 16 122 secondary school teachers have been registered to date. The council has also licensed 1 126 administrators, 559 lecturers, 454 special needs educationists and 1 838 early childhood development caregivers—representing roughly 70 percent of the teaching workforce.
In a written response, Chakwera stressed that only licensed teachers are legally permitted to practise.
“The council is registering and licensing qualified teachers, and only these are allowed to practise. Registration is a continuous process, and we are encouraging all those who have not registered to do so. Otherwise, they are contravening the law,” she said.
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Chakwera attributed the slow registration pace to teachers’ continued use of manual forms instead of the council’s online system.
The persistence of unregistered educators has exposed a critical gap in enforcement and compliance, raising concerns about the integrity of the education system.
Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) secretary general Charles Kumchenga confirmed that some of the union’s members remain unlicensed.
“There are over 60 000 teachers who are members of TUM, but many others are not part of TUM. Most of our members are registered and licensed, but there are others who are not. TCM is trying, but much remains to be done,” he said.
Kumchenga further cited delays in government recruitment and limited absorption capacity as contributing factors.
“For example, the recruitment of IPTE 14 teachers who graduated years ago only happened recently. Such delays exacerbate the problem of unqualified teaching staff in schools, which hampers the pursuit of quality education,” he said.
Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe said some educators lack awareness of the legal requirements, while others resist registration due to perceived burdens such as fees and bureaucracy.
“Additionally, weak enforcement by both the Ministry and the council has allowed some to continue working outside the law,” he said.
Kondowe warned that lax enforcement enables unqualified educators to operate freely, undermining education standards.
“There is a strong connection between poor examination results and unregistered educators. Schools with unlicensed teachers often deliver poor learning outcomes, as seen in some private schools posting a 0 percent pass rate in the recent MSCE results,” he said.
While Kondowe hailed the establishment of TCM as a milestone, he lamented its limited impact.
“Professionalism in the education sector remains uneven. A multifaceted approach is needed—one that combines enforcement, resource allocation and emphasis on teacher development,” he said.
He urged the Ministry and TCM to strengthen compliance mechanisms, including linking school licensing to proof of employing registered teachers.
Education governance expert Limbani Nsapato echoed the call for enforcement, saying unlicensed teachers should face penalties.
“If they do not comply, it becomes difficult to enforce the law. However, enforcement should be balanced with support to encourage compliance,” said Nsapato, executive director of Link for Education Governance.
Established under the Education Act of 2013 and operationalised in 2022, the TCM is mandated to register teachers, promote professional standards and advise the Ministry of Education. Its core mission is to ensure that only qualified and competent individuals teach in Malawi’s schools.
