The Malawi Government has pledged to address challenges rocking the education sector, including shortages of teachers with renewed commitment. PATRICK LUNDA writes.
With a deficit of 65000 teachers, the Malawi Government has pledged to address the shortages with renewed commitment.
Education Minister Bright Msaka has assured the nation that the government is dedicated to closing this gap, emphasizing that efforts to recruit and retain more teachers will continue relentlessly.
He said the government is committed to strengthening teacher education, continuous professional development, enhancing standards and systems that support effective teaching and learning.
Msaka made the observation during the World Teachers Day which falls on 5 October.
According to Msaka,the Malawi government has only recruited 1,100 out of 11,000 graduates who applied.
This is also against the backdrop that the government had a deficit of over 65,000 teachers to meet the average ratio of 1:75 teacher pupil ratio for primary and secondary school.
But Msaka appealed for respect for teachers which must go beyond schools and be reflected in homes, communities and national institutions, while teachers themselves should uphold professionalism, integrity, dedication and commitment.
He said Malawi’s pursuit of a productive, skilled and resilient population requires teachers and teacher educators to be respected, supported, professionally developed and empowered to fulfil their responsibilities.
While welcoming the development, one of the applicants, speaking on condition of anonymity said the number was not enough.
He said: “Every qualified teacher is excited about the government’s recruitment, but the numbers seem too small to address Malawi’s teacher shortage, especially with the rise in public secondary school enrolment since Free Secondary School Education was introduced.
“Definitely when only 10% of applicants are employed, it can create a lot of anxiety, uncertainty, and disappointment among teachers and graduates who were hoping for an opportunity considering experience has shown that most graduates in education, who applied are from underprivileged families.”
The 2026 World Teachers’ Day commemoration also marks 60 years since the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, providing an opportunity to reflect on progress in strengthening the teaching profession and challenges that remain.