The United Kingdom (UK) says it is its desire to ensure that there are adequate qualified teachers in schools across Malawi.
Head of the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) in Malawi Jen Marshall said this yesterday after President Peter Mutharika officially opened the Phalombe Teacher’s Training College.
She said her government is geared to continue supporting teachers’ education and supporting teachers to teach in good environments.
Said Marshall: “Well educated children and adults are one of the greatest assets of a country like Malawi, a country trying to boost its economic growth and to lift its people out of poverty.”
She said education has long been a critical part of the UK’s support to Malawi such that it has provided over K84 billion to the education sector since 2010. The assistance includes investment in teacher education, management and teaching quality in a systematic increasingly under pressure from population growth.
Malawi has one of the highest teacher to pupil ratios at one to 80 and above compared to the globally recommended one teacher to 40 pupils.
DfID co-funded the construction of the college with the Malawi Government up to 2014, paying contractors directly, according to a statement.
On the other hand, Malawi Government continues to take responsibility for issues arising, including utility bills and maintenance.n
