UNICEF hands over motorcycles to Ministry of education
The International Child Rights Organization, UNICEF, has donated 25 motorcycles to the ministry of education for school inspection.
Speaking during the ceremony UNICEF Chief of Education and Adolescents Section, Kimazi Muthengi said the handover of the motor bikes is part of UNICEF support in ensuring that districts are able to continuously inspect and supervise schools and ensure quality education.
“Our organization recognizes efforts that the ministry is making through the re-introduction of inspection in schools and strengthening the advisory support to schools,
“Which ensures that schools are aware of minimum requirements to provide quality and meaning education,” Muthengi said.
He said since the launch of National Education Standards in 2015 the organisation has supported the inspection of 500 primary schools in five districts.
“This has resulted to over 65 percent of the schools under the support to move from graded below minimum standards to meeting the minimum national education standards,” he said.
Minster of Education, Science and Technology, Dr William Susuwele Banda said the motorcycles would be distributed to three districts namely Salima, Mangochi and Dedza in its 25 zones to the supervisors and advisors.
“The greatest challenge that the ministry is currently facing is mobility of inspectors and advisors and we are failing to properly support schools because we cannot visit as many schools as we ought to” he lamented.
He said the donation comes at the right time for the districts benefitting and hopes that inspectors and advisors in these districts will put in an extra gear to ensure that quality of education provision improves in their areas.
“We just carried out an inspection in the three districts and the evidence we obtained shows that most schools are performing at minimum level or below,” the minister said.
Furthermore Inspectors and Advisors have a lot of work to ensure that learners come to school on time, teachers are on task, and schools have the requisite teaching and learning materials and so on.
He commended UNICEF for assisting the ministry in coming up with the National Standards of Education which is being used in inspection and advisory work since 2015.
“We are now able to properly gauge the performance of our schools and provide them the necessary support. The standards have provided a framework,” he said.
However, the minister said they need more support to ensure that they are in each and every school and also stakeholders understand these standards and use them effectively.
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