Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Jessie Kabwila, has pledged government’s commitment to improving the welfare of teachers in the country through promotions and salary adjustments as a way of restoring the prestige and motivation of the profession.
She was speaking Wednesday during a visit to Karonga Teachers’ Training College (TTC).
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She stressed that teachers are at the heart of national development and must be treated with the dignity they deserve.
“A teacher with low morale is a dangerous tool. Teaching comes from the heart, and when teachers are demotivated, quality of education is affected. We are working on improving their conditions so that they perform their duties with pride,” she said.
Kabwila said to realise the Malawi 2063, there must be massive investment in education, starting with the people who deliver it.
“Government is aware of challenges teachers face and is taking steps to address them systematically through reforms in salaries, promotions, and training opportunities. The Ministry will support teachers to access loans from institutions like the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) to improve their livelihoods,” said Kabwila.
She urged teacher training institutions to explore income generating ventures to supplement government funding.
Acting Principal for Karonga TTC, Kondwani Mwalweni, welcomed the minister’s remarks and hailed government for promoting teachers saying it has boosted morale among staff.
“We’ve seen real progress, especially with recent promotions. These changes are motivating our teachers to give their best in training future educators,” he said.
Mwalweni revealed that the college has a poultry project as part of its income diversification efforts and they plan to expand it to generate more revenue and reduce reliance on government subventions.
He raised concerns over the high cost of maintaining the college’s aging infrastructure saying many of the buildings are now expensive to maintain.
“We need support to renovate these structures so they can remain safe and conducive for learning,” said Mwalweni.
Karonga TTC opened, which opened in 1987 with 300 students, currently accommodates 500 trainees. It has trained over 16,000 teachers since its inception.
