An education commentator has hailed President Peter Mutharika for closing schools and banning public gatherings due to the threat of the Covid-19 pademic.
In an interview with Malawi24, the analyst Limbani Nsapato, said that the government has done a great thing by closing schools as teachers and students will be safe from contracting the virus.
“It’s important to prevent learners and teachers from contracting the virus. Prevention is better than cure, so it is very critical that at this point in time government should put in measures to make sure that teachers and leaners are protected from contracting the virus,” said Nsapato.
He noted that some learners are worried that that the closure is going to delay and also to disturb the academic calendar. He urged the students to understand that covid-19 is real and it can kill if one contracts the virus.
“First save the life at the end education can continue at any point in time.
“So it’s important that government had to put these measures despite the fact that it will convenience learners and teachers. Therefore the government should be commended for taking this appropriate action,” said Nsapato.
Commenting on the closure of colleges, Shupikai Nema, a student at Chancellor College said for those who are still schooling, time will be wasted but healthy wise it is good.
Shupikai added that after the president of Malawi declared Malawi a state of disaster and banned all public gatherings as well as the closure of all education institutions, some students were happy and others were not.
“But I think those who are not happy with the decision are just in dilemma if we are going to overcome this as a nation, but I know God is in control,” said Shupikai.
She, however, lamented that she would have been in fourth year now but because of strikes she is in third year and now with the coronavirus issue she don’t know when she will graduate.
Welford White Mateyu, a primary teacher at Matipa Primary school in Chingale, said the decision of closing schools is not good because the coronavirus can end without infecting any Malawian inthe country.
“Malawians are afraid of the rain that is raining in other countries thinking that it will rain to our mother land. At this time, the government was supposed to close the borders including international airports excluding schools and churches. And wait for disaster arrives. What if the disaster not arrive here in Malawi?
“And this will affect our education standard in the sense that the education standard will go down because we don’t know when this will end. Poor children will be the most ones suffering because they have no access to do part time because their parents do not have money for that,” said Mateyu.
He concluded that as they are following the measures of preventing the the covid-19 corona viru the public should also pray to God .
In Africa, a number of countries have banned all public gatherings including schools churches.
