Msaka says Education Ministry constructing 300 schools and 700 classroom blocks
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has disclosed it is constructing 700 classroom blocks as one way of improving the learning environment by increasing the learning space in the country’s schools.
The minister responsible, Bright Msaka, disclosed this to journalists in Lilongwe on the sidelines of Malawi Education Sector Improvement Programme (MESIP) handing over ceremony of vehicles and motorbikes to eight district education divisions.
He said the construction of classroom blocks would greatly help the education sector to ease the problem of inadequate learning space the country has been experiencing.
Msaka said the ministry is committed to ensuring that infrastructure development take centre stage in the improvement of learning environment.
Considering that shortage of learning space has also contributed to high rate school dropout, especially among girls, the minister observed that provision of better education facilities such as classroom blocks would encourage more girls to remain in school.
“We have to provide better-sheltered places for learning and sanitary facilities in most schools so that girls should not shun school as a result of unavailability of proper facilities,” Msaka pointed out.
Speaking on contractors abandoning projects, he said that should be a thing of the past as his ministry has set up supervision routine checks for its projects.
He added that the ministry strives for quality assurance of the projects it is implementing in the country.
Msaka, therefore, appealed to staff in his ministry to spearhead implementation of project activities for the betterment of the education sector.
“We need staff to be committed to their work. They need to develop annual work plans for them to carry out their work efficiently,” he said.
Most schools in the country are facing challenges of shortage of classroom blocks and teachers’ houses.
However, government and its development partners through Local Development Fund (LDF) have contributed significantly to the construction of classroom blocks and teachers’ houses across the country.
The Ministry of Education is making efforts to achieve 1:60 teacher/pupil ratio as one way of improving the learning environment, but the challenge remains the shortage of classroom space and qualified teachers.
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