By frank Utonga
Deputy Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambawuwa Wirima, has appealed to teachers across the country to exercise patience on the issue of risk allowance over Covid-19 as government is looking into the matter at high level.
She made the call on Tuesday in Rumphi during a familirisation tour for schools in the district which are due to be reopened on September 7.
“There is indeed an issue of teachers risk allowance that has been making rounds on the social media. Teachers are concerned of the risks to their health but let me assure them that the Tonse Alliance administration is looking into that and we are discussing the matter at high level.” Said Kambawuwa Wirima adding that the president and his deputy are both passionate about education.
“My plea to teachers is that they need to be patient because having schools closed has negatively affected the country. As such it would be better to have the schools reopened taking into account the negative bearing this has had on the leaners,” she explained.
The minister commended the district schools she toured for putting in place measures that are aimed at enhancing safety for leaners and teachers among others such as hand washing facilities and training mother groups on production of masks.
Speaking earlier, head teacher at Bumba Primary School, Nolias Chirambo, said her school is ready to reopen on Monday as they have put in place necessary measures to curb threats on possible spread of Covid-19 among learners.
She said among others the school has procured hand washing facilities, marked the classes for learners to be sitting one metre apart, introducing shifts for learners and teachers.
She said considering the time wasted most learners were not in the mood for school as such the school will be introducing remedial classes some even on the weekends for the pupils to catch up on the time lost due to the five-month lockdown.
“We have already put in place measures against the spread of Covid-19. We will ensure that learners desks are one metre apart. This has been done as a way to decongest the classes.
“We will also bring more teachers from other classes to assist the leaners in the standard eight. We know most of them had been in mood for schools,” she explained.
Group Village Headman, Mlongoti commended government for deciding to reopen the schools saying during the period of lockdown there had been spike in the cases of teenage pregnancies