NEW MINISTER OF EDUCATION SEEKS USG SUPPORT FOR

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000706 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI EAID MI SUBJECT: NEW MINISTER OF EDUCATION SEEKS USG SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS ¶1. SUMMARY. Newly appointed Minister of Education Yusuf Mwawa, formerly the Minister of Health under President Muluzi, said his first major task is to find a solution to the dwindling number of teachers in primary schools. In his estimation, improving the teacher training colleges will fill the staffing gaps and increase the general quality. Mwawa also told the Charge teacher inspections, retention, and HIV/AIDS education are areas where the USG could work with the GOM to improve education. END SUMMARY. IMPROVING TEACHER COLLEGES -------------- ¶2. During a July 15 introductory call with the Charge, newly appointed Minister of Education Yusuf Mwawa, who had been Minister of Health in the previous Muluzi administration, said the most critical educational need in Malawi is primary school teachers. Outlining his initial objectives for the Ministry, Mwawa stated he planned to build a cadre of qualified primary school teachers by improving the quality of teacher training colleges. Mwawa conceded that standards at training colleges had lapsed and suggested that the USG could assist by bettering the quality of existing training colleges. TEACHER RETENTION, INSPECTIONS -------------- ¶3. Turning to other areas of concern, Mwawa noted that teacher inspections are infrequent and retention rates are low. According to Mwawa, teacher inspections, which are supposed to occur three times a year, rarely take place. Mwawa stated that any gains made in teacher training would be lost if not followed up by proper inspections. Commenting on the poor retention rate, Mwawa said the only way to entice teachers to continuing working is to improve teacher salaries and benefit packages. USAID-VA TECH PROGRAM -------------- ¶4. Recently returned from the graduation ceremony of 24 Master Degree students who participated in an in-country USAID-Virginia Tech primary education project under the University Partners in Institutional Capacity Program, Mwawa commented that the program provided excellent training for Malawian students and was cost effective. He suggested many more in-country programs of this type be supported. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE -------------- ¶5. Indicating President Mutharika has a strong interest in education, Mwawa said the President directed that a full assessment of the current system of education be done in the coming six months. Mwawa hoped that important partners like USAID would participate in the assessment, which would take the form of a conference in November. HIV/AIDS AND EDUCATION -------------- ¶6. A notable issue from his time as Minister of Health, Mwawa told the Charge that he would be remiss if he did not mention the problems that HIV/AIDS cause in the education sector. Mwawa said many teachers are dying of HIV/AIDS. Mwawa also felt that many Malawian families are failing their children by sending them to secondary schools without proper education on HIV/AIDS, and this lack of education is causing the further spread of the disease. Mwawa planned to make sure HIV/AIDS was taken into account when forming new polices and programs for the education sector. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. Mwawa rightly assesses that the quality of education will improve only with more and better-trained teachers. However, given the GOM's current resource constraints, the education system is not likely to see any new major influx of support. Mwawa's challenge will therefore be to prioritize which sectors to address first. RASPOLIC