Teachers In Thyolo Deliver Petition

Thyolo Police Station Officer in Charge has received a petition from teachers who are protesting over risk allowances.

Teachers across the country, yesterday announced that they will go to the streets arguing that government is playing hide and seek in addressing their grievances.

Teachers have been asking government to provide them with Personal Protective Equipment and risk allowances as schools reopen after five weeks of closure.

According to Julius Mtambo, chairperson for concerned teachers said they are disappointed with government decision to proceed with reopening of schools yet their concerns are not addressed.

Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) has said if its members will not report for work on Monday.

According to TUM president Willy Malimba, the decision to boycott from work has been made since government is not clear on risk allowances that teachers are demanding.

Malimba further said that government has also failed to fulfill some of the requirements for the opening of schools, citing drilling boreholes and erecting temporary classes to decongest classrooms.

Chairperson for the Concerned Teachers, Julius Mtambo said they are concerned that government has directed that schools reopen on Monday, despite not responding to some of their concerns.

Secretary General for the grouping Azizi Losa said that they also want government to recruit additional secondary school teachers in order to decongest classrooms.

Minister of Education Agnes NyaLonje disclosed on Wednesday that the Ministry will put in place a number of preventive measures to ensure that both students and teachers are protected.

On Wednesday this week government through the Presidential Taskforce announced that all schools should reopen after five weeks of closure as the country is experiencing the second wave of the global virus.

Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda Kandodo, has since said that government is working hard to ensure that the spread of the virus is contained in schools.

Meanwhile, Malawi has more Covid-19 recoveries than active cases which is giving hope that the country might be winning the fight against the virus of which some are saying that it is because there is a drop in covid-19 tests.