Govt laxity costing education standards—Csec

Education activists have decried government’s lack of commitment to implement the Education Act of 2013 and other legal frameworks, saying it is affecting the country’s education standards.

Malawi enacted the Act to address challenges in the education sector but since it was assented to, Capital Hill has not implemented it.

Among other things, government was supposed to come up with a National Education Advisory Council comprising 15 members and a teachers’ council to regulate teachers and school boards.

But in an interview yesterday on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the Act in Mzuzu, Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe said government has failed to come up with teachers’ councils which he said is affecting education standards as teachers are not properly regulated.

“Even the issue of fees, there is supposed to be a control measure. Schools charge fees anyhow but we have an Act that is supposed to regulate that,” said Kondowe.

Voluntary Service Overseer  (VSO) project manager Makhumbo Munthali faulted government for failing to implement the initiative which he said is affecting education in Malawi.

“The Act is a very good document that promotes quality education. It talks about the establishment of an advisory council that would help advise the Ministry of Education and would also help on accountability but that has not been put in place.

“So, what we have been doing in this project is basically to raise awareness on the contents of the Education Act with two districts, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, being pilot districts for the project,” he said.

When asked what government is doing about the Act, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Principal Secretary Justin Saidi asked for a questionnaire to consult on the matter. n