Teachers protest “new” selection criteria

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

The pathetic pass rates Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) continues to register every year have moved government to take a tough stance on selection of students into public secondary schools, saying it will now on enforce an old-standing policy where only deserving pupils will earn places in secondary schools.

But some members of the teaching profession have condemned the policy describing it a “demotivation to the teacher who has no benefits apart from that of enrolling his relatives into secondary schools of their choice”.

In a press statement released yesterday, Ministry of Education expressed concern over a growing tendency by guardians rquesting the ministry to admit their wards to public secondary schools. Some of the learners being admitted to secondary schools through such arrangements were “undeserving” to be in secondary schools.

Apart from compromising the quality of education in secondary schools, the system gave room to some unscrupulous individuals to issue unauthorized letters of admissions or transfers purporting to be issued by the ministry or schools.

“This created unnecessary pressure on the ministry resulting in over-enrolment of secondary schools with all the negative consequences of high student: teacher ratio and unhygienic conditions, especially in hostels, du to congestion,” says the statement in part.

“In an effort to ensure high quality of education and fairness, admission of secondary school school students will be based on merit and that applications for places in secondary schools will no longer be entertained,” the ministry emphasizes.

Education activists, Link for Education Governance (LEG), commended the ministry for coming up with strict measures for ensuring quality of education.

But the organization warned the ministry against applying the “merit system” on students with special needs, saying, if applied with consideration on minority groups, the policy may create devastating effects on special needs education.

“The policy is good for curbing malpractices that may compromise the quality of education in the country. However, there should be a special consideration for pupils with special needs who have passed, but failed to secure places in secondary schools. These are minority groups, which need to be promoted,” said Andrew Ussi, LEG director of policy and advocacy.

Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) president Chauluka Muwake was not immediately for comment, but some teachers confided The Sunday Times accused the ministry of introducing crucial policies behind the back of implementers (teachers).

The teachers further hinted that the system will also affect their financial base since some members of the noble profession used to benefit from the current system through backdoor.

“They (ministry) had to consult us as implementers. I look at this policy as discrimination; it’s a demotivation to teachers. Our job enjoys no other benefits other than this privilege of enrolling our relatives into secondary schools of our choice,” said a secondary school teacher based in Blantyre. “I should tell you in confidence that some of the children we enrolled in schools were not necessarily our relatives. They were paying us and that was our allowance.”

The ministry’s public relations officer Lindiwe Chide could not pick her phone yesterday when we sought to get her views on allegations that they do not consult when formulating policies.

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