Education ministry advise new teachers to report for duties Sept 10
Teachers who two years ago completed their primary school teaching course on Monday stormed Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) headquarters in Lilongwe to find out why the government is not telling them when and where to report for duties just less than a week before schools open and the Ministry of Education has since responded.
The ministry of Education last month flighted advertisements calling on EPT 10 and 11 and ODL 5 graduates to go and fill GP1 forms, recruitment forms at their nearest district education office by August 24.
However, the 10 000 strong teachers, who graduated two years ago, say the government have not yet come back to them to inform them about their postings yet it is less than a week before public schools open on Monday.
“This is not only surprising but a matter of concern. We need to know in advance so that we can do preparatory works before we get into classes to teach. We have to write schemes of work and other things,” said one of the teachers.
He said the teachers now believe the civil society organisations and opposition who said the move to force them fill the GP 1 forms was just political as the political campaign heightens ahead of the 2019 general election.
Ministry of Education spokesperson Lindiwe Chide asked for more time to get details before she commented on the matter.
But in a statement made available to Nyasa Times on Tuesday, Secretary for Education Justin Saidi, urged newly recruited IPTE10, 11 and ODL 5 teachers to report for duties their their assigned schools by September 10 2018.
“Anyone who does not report within two weeks from the stated date, will be deemed to no longer be interested in holding that post, thereby rendering the post vacant,” the Secretary for Education, Science and Technology said in the statement.
Saidi said all relevant stakeholders are requested to support these newly recruited teachers to enable them settle smoothly in their assigned schools.
TUM secretary general Charles Kumchenga said the union is working closely with the government to recruit the teachers.
“They will start work on 1 October. The delay is to give the government enough time do their preparatory work so that when the teachers are recruited, they should be paid the same month,” said Kumchenga.
Kumchenga said the teachers should be patient.
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