‘Ministry of Education has failed the country’

Opposition members of Parliament (MPs)have described the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) as a failed entity for failing to maintain standards of education in the country.

The members said the ministry has reduced to nothing the legacy of education the country used to have in previous years as there is little to be desired these days.

Making their contributions in Parliament yesterday during debate on a report by the Education, Science and Technology Committee on activities it undertook in the 2015/16 fiscal year, the members said standards of education have become pathetic.

In his contribution, Mzimba West MP Harry Mkandawire (People’s Party-PP) said MoEST is failing to address issues it is supposed to.

But the committee’s chairperson Elias Chakwera said there is need for the country to reconsider the importance of education and start investing in the sector.

He cited poor infrastructure, lack of learning materials and the quality of teachers in educational institutions, saying these have affected the education system.

“As a committee, we did our research to see what is wrong with the standards. We have found out that the sector needs to be re-looked at; the sector needs enough resources and funding if we are to be proud of the graduates we produce,” said Chakwera, who is Dowa Ngala MP (Malawi Congress Party-MCP).