Malawi teachers threaten to go on strike again


Malawi teachers

Teachers in the country have asked Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) to pay all invigilators and supervisors their 2017 invigilation allowances before August 31, 2017 or else all teachers will put tools down in September.

Teachers through Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) have faulted MANEB for failing to pay allowances to teachers who supervised and invigilated the 2017 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) exams.

In a statement issued by TUM and signed by its secretary Charles Kumchenga, the teachers’ body says it is not happy with MANEB’s conduct of delaying the allowances every year.

Malawi teachers
Teachers cold start yet another strike. (Library)

“TUM wishes to express great shock over the shameful conduct of MANEB of always taking teachers for granted when it comes to payment of their hard earned supervision and invigilation allowances. We fail to understand the reason why MANEB should have the audacity of hiring teachers to administer National Examinations and yet they fail to pay the teachers, after they efficiently and effectively administer the examinations.

“TUM expects all the 2017 invigilators and the supervisors to be paid their deserved allowances latest by 31st August 2017 failure of which shall attract a call to all teachers not to open schools in September 2017,” reads the statement.

According to the union, the allowances are supposed to be paid in advance before the hired teachers commence their task of supervision and invigilation as a package to facilitate their smooth implementation of their task.

TUM in the statement claims that it has now and again knocked on the door of MANEB over the matter but the exam body has been saying that Treasury is yet to fund it.

“We are stunned to be informed that Treasury is yet to fund MANEB, yet the MSCE examinations were planned way back from last year. The general public may recall that the 2016 MSCE invigilation allowances were also paid in confrontational manner as TUM had called for an industrial action which prompted MANEB and Treasury to act in a fire fight manner,” reads the statement in part.

Teachers union has since urged the Treasury to swiftly provide the required funding to MANEB so that “innocent and silent suffering teachers should be paid their hard earned allowances.”

The union has warned that the suitability and integrity of senior officers at Treasury and MANEB will be questioned if the allowances are not given to teachers by the end of August.

 

84 thoughts on “Malawi teachers threaten to go on strike again

  1. I don’t know why teachers invigilate exams, this can always raise conflict of interest. Why not using doctors for biology,accountants for maths,agriculture officers for agriculture,Robert chiwamba for chichewa,etc

  2. clear message to teachers: We are tired of your stories ! We also have our problems with our employers and not resolved ,our issues are not resolved in papers! Your friends at Prisons services are also suffering, why didnt you raise this issue with the leave grant issue? You press hard the government when your debts have accumulated. Solve your ussues outside the papers without bothering us! Its too much from you! It shows you are lazy teachers!

  3. You mean government planned exams out of your pockets & you went on? If yes then You teachers are to fault because you could boycott before exams or else it was an agreement just wait for the government to refund your pockets back

  4. Solution:Markers should decline to go till the gvt pays the invigilators/supervise,u ll c the pushing vehicle ll start off.But can a teacher do zat?

  5. I blame all teachers who took in the exercise.How can u accept to go without?other departments never do that even an MP or minister.You already know your gvt that it cant work bcz the engine has faults.Ndi galimoto yokhanka,inu nukwera yotere.Musalire!

  6. I dont understand y most ppo say teachers voted for this regime,how? We didnt force anyone to vote for either of the paties but rather we jst made the voting went on accordingly.

  7. Nanunso a TUM mpaka August. Kale kale. Zikufunika pompano pompano ndalamazo. Mesa Ana anapereka exam fees, adm fees etc. What was that for? Nanga awa agwira ntchito kwa zaka more than 10 without promotion’wa strike yao yili liti? What about those who upgraded themselves but are yet to be promoted? Komanso teachers mmaonjeza. Mesa a Maneb ananenerathu simulandira msanga exam yisanayambe?! Why ddnt u protest then?

  8. Nanunso a TUM mpaka August. Kale kale. Zikufunika pompano pompano ndalamazo. Mesa Ana anapereka exam fees, axam fees etc. What was that for? Nanga away agwira ntchito kwa zaka more than 10 without promotion’wa strike yao yili liti? What about those who upgraded themselves but are yet to be promoted? Komanso teachers mmaonjeza. Mesa a Maneb ananenerathu exam yisanayambe?! Why ddnt u protest then?

  9. Prince Phiri, you do not seem to understand the rationale behind all teachers going on strike instead of only those who invigilated! And you even go to the extent of insulting them, why? It is clear from your poor elementary ‘english’ that you never went far with school, hence your dislike for the teachers. My advice to you is that you should go and start school and if you want to learn then listen to what the teachers will be teaching you and give them respect. Know that all the civil servants, lawyers, bankers, ministers, health personnel and even those delaying teachers’ allowances went to school and were taught by teachers! Give them the respect they deserve!

  10. Kkkkkkk complaining n complaining mphunxitsi sazatheka kaya ine ndikusamala nkhalamba kuno koma za strike zo ayi! Ana athu avutika pliz

  11. not every1 went 4 invigiration, u fools cn go 4 a strike, zopusa basi. Mulibe nzeru otho ur teachers. Ndakwiya nanu mxewww

  12. Ku MANEB kunachulukitsa anthu akalekale. Ambiri agwira zaka fote tsopano. Ndilo vuto larikulu limeneli. I remember I was in Standard 1 when I used to see officials like Harawa koma akadalikonko. Can we expect a change? MANEB requires overhaul retrenchment. Komano strike bwanji iyambe mawa chonde. Suputembala kwatalika odala.

  13. All Teachers Who Invigilated Without Cash Are Foolish..
    TUM Should Not Take Part In That Rather Should Fight For Arrears & House Allowance.

    Mphunzitsi Azamva Liti?

    1. this is not about politics boy Maneb has been there before this gvt it will be there even if we change the regime. what is needed is that Maneb must find better ways of paying the guys. I tend to wonder why they are failing to pay them yet students paid for the exams. To my understanding i think exam fee includes all exam administration activities

  14. What’s wrong with MANEB. Surely they want free services or what? This is what we call getting goods by false pretence. All the time they do this. Koma kuli mabwana ku MANEB. This is really sickening…..

  15. Strikes everywhere. The country is falling apart. The leadership can’t hold it together. Let alone inspire greatness….

  16. MANEB is a disgrace why involving teachers without providing them with allowances?an exercise which is on time table for national interest how come doing it for free? its unfair?it means this office is filled with incompetent people.how were the invigulators keeping themselves?what a shame from the highest authorities?JC kulibe so where is the money & what kept u busy? it means muli a tambwali ambiri m’bungweli .perekani ma allowance.

    1. Vuto aphunzitsi amawatolera alone ma privileges so akangowatenga amakhala too excited why going for three weeks without allowance? Therefore strike for what? Palibe angalole izi mboma wamzeru it means these teachers Are to blame

  17. Strike yachani? Munathandizira kuyika awa pa mpando mayesa ndi inu nomwe? Musalire, you deserve what you get. Malawi is on fire bcoz of you.

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