The 2020 academic calendar was one of the most disrupted in recent history with the end result being also one with the worst Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination results recorded in about a decade.
The year saw schools being closed for almost six months due to the high prevalence of Covid-19 cases in addition to MSCE examination papers being leaked forcing the Ministry of Education and Malawi National Examination Board to cancel the exams and to be retaken months later.
Despite all this, Christopher Pompi, a teacher at Moyale Barracks Community Day Secondary School managed to produce 11 students who scored distinctions in Geography subject.
The feat made Pompi, who is also a soldier at the barracks, the best amongst community day secondary school teachers in the Northern Region Division and he was recognized at an award ceremony held in Karonga.
According to Pompi the secret is simple, during this period where classes get disrupted teachers need to be committed by engaging the students in remedial classes.
“Despite the closure of schools because of the covid-19 pandemic, I managed to produce distinctions in Geography because of what we call remedial classes.
“These remedial classes are very important in a situation like we were in last academic year. The school closures were tough on the students to do well in exams and on top of that the MSCE exams were also cancelled,” said Pompi.
He added that the recognition he has received in the education sector has made him more motivated to continue doing better in his teaching methods.
“The northern region education division has rewarded me, which is another motivation for me,” added Pompi.
Speaking in an interview on Pompi’s achievement, Moyale Barracks Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Thokozani Chazema was a praise saying the soldier has done the barracks school proud.
For Christopher Pompi to be named best Geography Teacher, 8 of his students scored 1s while 3 scored 2s totaling 11 distinctions.
