Since the spank of Covid-19 to the world, there has been a lot of challenges in all spheres of life. Education has been one of the fields which Covid-19 has hit hard: schools were becoming hotspots for the spread of the virus here in Malawi, and so causing the closure to minimise the spread. A lot has happened when students were not in schools. In Karonga, statistics show up that many of the girls got pregnant whilst staying idle at home, parents would not help their children educational wise, but left them to attend to rice fields as others managed their livestock in the bushes. In reviewing all these unprecedented scenarios, CCJP conducted an interface meeting at Uliwa, TA Wasambo in Karonga district on 17th August 2021, to seek solutions on how to make the education sector in the district revamp so as to help the children in schools and create a better future for the citizenry of Karonga.
Speaking over the function, the district education director, Mrs Sarah Jere who was also the guest of honour hinged that, Karonga has a lot of potential in as much as education is concerned. In making sure that education is effective and available to all, parents have to play a role in motivating and giving their children ample time to learn. Most of the parents encourage their girls to marry, others fix them at the corner with a lot of household chores. As regards to young boys, some parents and guardians demand them to attend to rice fields and manage their small-scale businesses she observed. Indeed, Covid-19 has hit us badly, but complying to Covid-19 measures, we can still send our children school for them to be better citizens for our country. Karonga meets a lot of setbacks because as compared to other districts, the enrolment rate is very low. As such, the allocation of materials, teachers and other funds are also low. Comparing with other schools, where the enrolment is high, there also exists reasonable funds, lots of teachers as well as educational materials. She therefore encouraged parents to take a lead in making sure that students value education.
The district education director also highlighted on the issues of students with special needs. The Mrs Jere encouraged parents and the local authorities to take reasonable initiatives in their different local schools. Slight initiatives like making pavements for children who are physically challenged would be ideal in helping children with special needs to ease their movements with their wheelchairs. It is time to act on things on our own, and not to push everything to the government she highlighted.
Concretising on the matter, CCJP project’s officer, Mr Obert Mkandawire viewed that, the function was aimed at making sure that education in Karonga is enhanced, and that both the government and the local authorities are taking effective roles in encouraging pupils to attend schools. According to the local authorities’ observation, education has also been dwindling in Karonga because of the lack of seriousness among the teachers. Some teachers run their personal businesses and give high priority to these businesses than work. for instance, some teachers have motor cycles for ‘kabanza’, others manage their shops and others still their rice fields. In preferring to managing their businesses than going for work, they injure education and put a risk among the students.
The local community also gave a vehement worry on the minimal number of teachers in rural schools, making the teacher-pupil ratio very high, hence little consideration to some students who are slow learners. They noted that, other teachers deny going to typical remote schools because, there are no good houses for a standardised life, no electricity, markets and hospitals. On some of these challenges, the district education director Mrs Jere gave hope to the people that, a considerable token to motivate teachers living in rural areas is being arranged, for such teachers to at least live a standardised life despite being far from town.
CCJP is working in close partnership with Luntha Television in Karonga in making sure that educational challenges met in the district are alleviated and that studies are valued by the local authorities, parents as well as the district education authorities. Luntha stands as a media tool, where by seminars, civic education trainings and meetings conducted by CCJP are media spread and reach the masses. Both CCJP and Luntha Tv are operating on the project with the help from Norad, though the Joint Country Program of Norwegian Church Aid and the Danish Church Aid (NCA-DCA). Present on the function were representatives of people living with albinism to have their say on how education is affecting people of such state, representatives from the council office of gender, chiefs, and representatives of a girl-child in the area.
Horrice Mkandawire
Luntha TV