‘Provide solutions to challenges affecting the education sector,’ Malawi CSOs told
Deputy Director for Teacher Education and Development in the Ministry of Education, Rose Kalizang’oma, has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to offer their own solutions to challenges impinging on transformation of education in Malawi.
Kalizang’oma said government is already doing its part by, among other things, increasing budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education and courting donor and development partners to finance and implement various projects in the education sector.
She spoke Friday in Lilongwe at a policy advocacy meeting on transformative education, which Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) and its collaborating partners organized in order to discuss challenges affecting education.
The meeting brought together scores of education stakeholders to look into the issues stipulated in the National Education Sector Investment Plan, especially focusing on issues of equitable access to education, quality and relevance and governance and management. They will later present their recommendations to the Ministry of Education, compelling it to improve on such issues.
Kalizang’oma said it is high time CSOs provided solutions, adding that there has been “enough talk” about challenges in the education sector for a long time.
“CSOs monitor education systems and guide in areas they strongly feel they can help. So, they too, need to come up with practical solutions, best ways of doing things to help build a better education system in the country.
As we do that, let us take into account the effects of Covid-19 on education, we do not have resources to ensure that we have enough desks, teachers and infrastructure. We can improve all this with all these CSOs around,” Kalizang’oma said.
In his remarks, CSEC Board Chairperson, Dr. Limbani Nsapato, said the meeting was also aimed at generating ideas to contribute to an upcoming United Nations summit on transformative education, which President Lazarus Chakwera and Minister of Education, Agnes NyaLonje, will attend.
“As CSOs, we are mobilizing voices to send a clear message that we want the education system transformed in terms of ensuring quality, equitable access at all levels and transformative financing,” Nsapato said.
Other partners that took part in organizing the meeting, include, among others: Rays of Hope, Save the Children, ECD Coalition, Forum for African Women Educationalists and GAYO.
