Unemployed teachers stage demos in Mzuzu,  demand recruitment

A group of unemployed primary school teachers under the Initial Primary Teachers Education- IPTE13 cohort on Friday held protests in Mzuzu with demands that government should unconditionally rope them into the civil service.

The group which said represented the whole IPTE13 cohort in the northern region said since they graduated in 2019 the Ministry of Education has been mum on their next step.

The teachers started their demonstrations at Katoto Community Ground around 9 am and then presented their petition to the Civic offices.

In interview with Nyasa Times after presenting their petition, the group chairperson,  Hadson Soko,  threatened that they would go back to the streets in large number especially if government fails to deal with their grievances.

Soko wondered why government only recruited nurses and midwives in response to covid-19 and not teachers when the teacher-pupil ratio in the country is quite abnormal.

Receiving the petition on behalf of the city council was Abraham Msukwa,  Administrative Officer for the Council.

Is his remarks, Msukwa assured the teachers that the council will present their petition to relevant authorities in good time.

The education ministry is yet to issue a comment on the matter.