Teachers drilled to enhance literacy skills

Centre for Alternatives for Victimised Women and Children (Cavwoc) field officer Rightwell Nyirenda says primary school teachers need refresher courses to improve their teaching capacity.

He said this on Tuesday during a three-day workshop of primary school teachers from Ulongwe, Mmanga and Nkhonde education zones in Balaka District.

Nyirenda said they conducted a survey which showed that some primary school learners in lower classes have low reading and writing proficiency.

He said: “We want to help bridge the gap in terms of literacy among learners from Standard One to Four.

“Teachers will be trained in planning their content before delivery so that learners can easily grasp the content.”

One of the teachers, Apatsa Meleka from Mpiniumodzi Primary School, said she will use the skill to ensure that her pupils gain reading, writing and numerical skills fast.

“We also learned how to motivate girls to overcome gender-related violence to remain in school,” she said.

Balaka district education coordinating primary school adviser McPeter Lumbani urged the teachers to use the skills to improve quality of education in lower classes.

Cavwoc is implementing Education Support for Girls and Vulnerable Children in Malawi Project in the district with funding from Oxfam Hong Kong.