(Judge Mbadwa’s court is already in session. Representatives of teachers and the civil society groups have petitioned the court on delayed teachers’ promotions)
Judge Mbadwa: This court wants the Disgruntled Teachers Association of Malawi to come forward and present their case, especially coming days after celebrating World Teachers’ Day.
In your petition, you want the President and the Minister of Education summoned to this court for propagating cosmetic podium statements on the welfare of teachers and on efforts to improve education standards in the country. You say you are tired of a government that says something in the morning and retracts it in the afternoon. In other words, you want the Executive arraigned for displaying pathological tendency of selective amnesia.
You have said that you are tired of hearing that “government is committed to improving standards of education in the country” yet nothing substantial is being done. Can you tell the court what you mean by this? You say you want an official who approved teachers’ promotions and withdrew them without proper explanation later arrested.
Asambizi Mtoti of the teachers association; address the court.
Asambizi Mtoti: Thank you my Lord. It is a joke that teachers are being treated like second class citizens, yet apart from mothers; they are the only fellows who spend sleepless nights to forge the future of millions of children. This government has failed us on our welfare. We are paid peanuts and when we are promoted, they withdraw the promotions without any iota of responsibility as if we are a piece of dirt. Do you know we receive our salaries on the 42nd day of the month? Yet, we are the people who put this government in power. Don’t ask how. Weren’t teachers the most relied upon electoral staff? Why do these people promise the moon during elections and abandon us as soon as they get in power? We are tired my Lord and this time we are withdrawing our services for good. But we need this court to take the current administration to task. Why should teachers’ promotions be delayed and why should we be treated as some tenants during promotion interviews by gathering us at community grounds?
Mbadwa: Everyone who can read something owes their success to some teacher somewhere. Teachers have made many of us, including yours truly judge Mbadwa. If you can read this judgement, you have a teacher to thank. Why do we treat them as second class citizens? It doesn’t matter what kind of species of teachers they belonged to. Teachers are teachers; hence, this court expected them to identify with teachers on their challenges.
We, hereby, allow teachers to withdraw their services as requested and the President and his Minister of Education are hereby summoned to appear without fail here next week. Thank you.
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