Malawi reopening of schools with K5bn boost to ministry of education for sustainable safe environment
Schools in Malawi will reopen on Monday with government injecting K5 billion from the K17 billion Covid-17 response funds to the ministry of education to ensure sustainable safe environment for both learners and teachers.
Schools were expected to reopen on February 8, after President Lazarus Chakwera ordered that all schools should be closed for three weeks on January 17, but his government’s Covid-19 taskforce extended the closure for another two weeks.
The opening of schools comes after Independent Schools Association of Malawi (Isama) wrote the Ministry of Health that the number of Covid-19 cases were on the decline.
“The more we keep learners at home, the more they are disadvantaged as some will end up going into early marriages and some getting unwanted pregnancies. We might end up building a cohort of people who would never love education,” said Isama president Joseph Patel.
Co-chairperson of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, who is also Minister of Health announced on Wednesday that all schools will reopen on Monday February 22 2021 with K5 billion provided to Ministry of Education to ensure safe environment for both learners and teachers.
Minister of Education Agness Nyalonje said her ministry has provided schools with face masks, soap and other items to prevent the spread of the virus.
On the K5 billion allocation, Nyalonje said the ministry plans to use some of the funds to drill boreholes in 650 primary and secondary schools to ensure the educational facilities have potable water for sanitation.
“Of the 650 boreholes, 400 will be drilled in primary schools while 240 will be in secondary schools,” said Nyalonje.
She also said Ministry of Education plans to “procure tens to decongest classes. About K384.6 million will go towards that.”
Nyalonje said to ease pressure on teachers, government has also recruited 2 275 auxiliary teachers.
Better the money go into the project rather than into the pocket of dears that love their berry full without regarding the life of poor malawian child who can’t afford quality education
The government of Malawi ought to consider an average Malawian who is a salary/wage earner who gets paid a peanut salary/wage by month end. How would such poor and vulnerable parents and guardians going to afford paying for transport, supplies/groceries and pocket money when schools are reopening on 22 February? Tonse Alliance government, please be decisive and consider the ultra poor and vulnerable Malawians who would want their wards to get a better education at the expense of their suffering
Great move government! Life must continue though there is Covid 19. Pamenepo mwayamba kuganiza bho inu azathu a ku boma.
5 billion Kwacha is just a peanut if we are to safely open schools. According to statistics of 2017, Malawi had a total of 6,065 primary xuls and 1411 secondary xuls. The total number of pupils in PS was 5,073,721 and for SS was 372,886. If we are to safely guard our children against this deadly virus, we need to look beyond the opening day and put our focus on the entire term. The minister says the money to be used in drilling boreholes and buying tents for extra teaching space. How about soap, basins and sanitizer for these children?… Read more »
Please do a proper risk assessment otherwise mukutizunzira ana kwambiri. We all know the age group mostly affected by the virus. It is mostly the old and those with underlying conditions. Bweretsani katemera tithane nazo izi zomayenda ngati tili ku dambwe.
that’s the way to go!
The president has be,en saying he Covid control measures will be reviewed when the transmission rate reaches 5% and below. Schools, which holds alot of people at once and daily and for long hours, are opening. Markets which holds numerous numbers of people were ‘not closed’, Bars, churches which hold very few people at once and for very few hours are still closed. Is the Govt not compromised in the way it is doing things. Are we not going to see a resurgence soon as I believe the current daily infection rate is still high
As long as that 5 billion reaches to the remotest of the remotest schools in Malawi. Fair & equal distribution of those funds will be helpful.
Chonde work as a government osangodzuka basi mkumati school itsekulidwa Monday. You need to inform us well in advance and consider nso kuti we were left in darkness as when kids will go back to school therefore we need to prepare financially. Kindly consider to create levels of severity where by decisions are guided by data on the ground instead of personal emotions. Amzathu ali ndi level 5-1 and they know what triggers wat.
Ndiye mukuti DODMA ntchito yawo ndi chiani? They are supposed to have been coordinating the Covid Response Action Plan as a Disaster Management Unit/Command Centre. Koma alas!!! Kumangonyambita ma allowance. The way things have been going it seems the Presidential Taskforce was the one coordinating which is wrong. The taskforce was supposed to be the decision making committee chaired by the President himself. Anyway sometimes you wonder the governance structure????