Secondary school teachers undergoing training in science subjects left a training centre in Salima on Wednesday due to bedbugs.
The training which started on Monday and was expected to end Friday is aimed at strengthening teaching of science and mathematics in secondary schools
A teacher attending the training at Salima Secondary School told Malawi24 that many teachers decided to leave after sleeping in bedbug infested rooms in students hostels.
“A lot of the participants have left. It is a total disturbance to the program as only less than a quarter of the planned work has been covered,” the teacher who did not want to be named told Malawi24 in a telephone interview.
He added that the remaining teachers had a meeting to map the way out after measures carried out to eliminate the bedbugs had failed.
“The mosquito nets were collected and soaked in hot water to kill the bugs but that didn’t work as bugs continued feasting on the teachers the whole night.
This forced teachers to call for an emergency meeting to suggest the suspension of the program all together,” the teacher said.
During the meeting, authorities directed that the training should end today instead of the planned Friday.
The teachers have since blamed the Ministry of Education for failing to adequately plan for the training.
