TUM urged newly-formed Teachers TCM to stop threatening teachers with disbarment

Teachers Union of Malawi urged the newly-formed Teachers Council of Malawi (TCM) to stop threatening teachers with disbarment if they do not pay registration fee by June 30 2024.

Ministry of Education will not allow anyone to teach without being registered by the council or having a valid practicing license from July 1 2024.

Primary school teachers are required to pay K20 000 and K30 000 for those in secondary school for those in secondary school. While on the other hand Practicing early childhood development (ECD) caregivers are expected to pay K15 000 as registration and pay the same as licence fee annually.

Teachers Union of Malawi secretary general Charles Kumchenga wrote a letter to Teachers Council of Malawi on 21 March 2024 expressing concern over lack of sensitization on the role of TCM, ‘excessive’ registration and licence fee, but also want membership period extended from three of five years.

They are requesting the office to extend this deadline to end December 2024, following the massive concerns raised by the majority of their members (teachers) from all the education districts in Malawi.

Kumchenga suggested that the government should pay for the teachers or the TCM should first consult the teachers on the fees rather than imposing on them.

Wycliffe Chimwendo Banda Independent Schools Association of Malawi president, who is also a TCM board member, said many of their teachers are registering, but they still want extension of the period.

TCM will meet soon and will be waiting for positive feedback, just like TUM” Banda said.

On Tuesday Dr Golden Msilimba Ministry of Education director of quality led a team of TCM members when they met head teachers from the Northern Region in Mzuzu where he emphasized that the June 30 deadline stands.

The Ministry of Education will not allow anyone to practice teaching in Malawi without being registered by the council or having a valid practicing licence from 1^st July,2024.

Based on the 2023 Education Management Information System, the country has a combined 85 402 primary school teachers of whom 77 075 are in public and 327 are in private schools.

Section 62, the Education Acts provides that the council shall establish and maintain a register of teachers and a roll of lincensed teachers and take part in all matters affecting the education and training of teachers.