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