Malawi Muslims up in arms against extended public primary school time table

Muslims in the country are up in arms against the extended public primary school time table which will now keep in class learners from morning to 2pm, saying this would interfere with religious madrasa classes.

Muslims Association of Malawi official Twaibu Lawe said Madrassa classes start at 2pm therefore the secular and religious classes would clash.

“We will meet the government officials over this because the extension will affect the madrasa classes and we are not happy. We were not consulted over this,” said Lawe.

The extended time table in primary schools is largely on reading of English and Chichewa books.

Education ministry spokesperson Manfred Ndovie said research has shown that Malawi has a dwindling reading culture and the aim of the extended program is to cultivate the reading culture from the younger ages.

He said Muslims should adjust the time Madrasa classes start in order to cope up with the extended secular time table.

Ndovie said the new time table starts this September and it is too late to reverse the situation.