First Lady meets US based Global Partnership for Education

First Lady Madam Monica Chakwera had a busy schedule on Sunday on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US as she lobbied for climate change resilient school classrooms in Malawi.

This was a fruitful meeting with the Global Partnership for Education delegation in New York on Sunday, September 18, 2022, where she stressed the need to strengthen basic education and early childhood development in Malawi.

We all know that basic education in Malawi faces a lot of challenges such as effects of climate change which have sometimes destroyed school infrastructure impacting the learners drop out.

When climate change catastrophes hit, the ones most hard hit are girls who fail to go to school and are asked to feed the families, fetching water and firewood from long distances, a situation which is worrisome. These entrench inequalities among learners between boys and girls from both urban and rural areas hence the need to promote basic education for all.

There is need to build climate change resilient infrastructure for both Primary, Secondary and Community Day Secondary Schools to ensure the continuation of teaching and learning.

“We need our schools to be energized with electricity and connected with internet at all times to enable our system to continue with learning during climate change related crisis,” she said during the meeting.

She said during the meeting, she urged for support in areas of ICT for online and off line learning to ensure that leaners are not missing out whenever they are at home.

She said the provision of gadgets as well as teachers training will play a critical role in making learning possible at all times.

“Ministry of Education through Shaping Our Future Foundation is working hard towards intensifying other Strategies to improve technical and Vocational Skills in the country,” she said.

In her remarks Susan Liautaud, the Vice President for Global Partnership Education hailed Our Future Foundation for taking a leading role in championing girl child education in Malawi.

She said there is need to do more in order to encourage girls to go further with education despite the challenges they are facing.

Liautaud said issues to do with girl child education, gender based violence as well as early child marriages need to be addressed and government must prioritise the issues to ensure that girls remain in School.