Fw: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New Secondary School Curriculum Next Year
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Abbas Panjwani
Jul 28, 2013, 3:06:21 AM7/28/13
to bwalo-la-...@googlegroups.com
Interesting & thought provoking input on above from another group.
Abbas
Abbas Panjwani
T: +265 888 826 666 / +265 999 826 666 / +265 212 826 666
E: ibc.m...@gmail.com / abbasp...@gmail.com
P O Box 5587, Limbe, MALAWI
-----Original Message-----
From: "story-kentmphepo" <kentm...@storyworkshop.org>
Sender: civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mwDate: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 10:22:46
To: <civs...@sdnp.org.mw>
Reply-To: civs...@sdnp.org.mw
Subject: Re: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce
New Secondary School Curriculum Next Year
This sounds like a great idea as long as it is not donor or politically
driven because it means that another political party or donor will change
the curriculum again to suit their ego. I also have problems if the
industry was not consulted on this change. If this change is meant to make
our education become relevant to our individual, household, communal and
national needs this is the way to go. However, I see several challenges
that the ministry has to deal with if any improvement will be registered in
the education sector:
1. Poor supply of teaching and learning materials.
2. Preparing teachers for the new curriculum.
3. Student and teacher behavior (too much indiscipline!)
4. Congestion in our secondary schools.
5. The gapping difference between private and public schools with most
government officials' children learning in privates schools or going abroad.
6. Community day secondary schools continuing to learn Physical Science
or Chemistry like history and a serious shortage of teachers in such
schools.
7. Lack of or poor inspection services in schools
8. Low motivation for work among teachers and the politicization of
teacher promotions.
9. Shortage of female teachers in most rural schools
10. The culture of business as usual in the Ministry of education in
general.
11. Exam cheating.
In my view, if these problems are not dealt with seriously, we will keep
changing the curriculum but our secondary schools will not produce the
intended results. Changing the curriculum comes with it new costs that I
don't think that we are ready or capable of shouldering. And even if we had
the money, I don't think that we have spine to improve things - too much
corruption, "allowance focused", etc.
Countrymen, do we really think that the problem with our secondary education
has to do with content or the system as a whole? Are we really ready to
provide the heavy cost that this change will bring? Who initiated this
change, a donor or ourselves?? Do we really have a national vision that we
want the new curriculum to contribute to?? I know that PICCAR (whatever
spelling is being used) has brought about many problems at primary school
level to the extent that most kids are not able to read "Malaya" in Standard
4 and efforts are underway to return to the old system in some sectors of
the education? Is this not enough chaos to learn from!!
I personally, I agree with the change. However, I have my doubts with our
ability to pull this off. Ours is a failed state that is very fast losing
its ability to improve the education system. We lack a national vision.
Politics will always dictate what should be in our curriculum. The UDF
government changed the curriculum to suit its political interests in the
1990s - 2000s. I still remember how literature was used to scandalize MCP.
Shallow books like ..... were put in the syllabus to get kids know the evils
of the One Party System. I will not be surprised if some shallow books
highlighting the evils of UDF and DPP are chosen this time round! For how
long are we going to play our education system??? Are we not ashamed with
the rampant cheating?
Just my opinion.
Kent
-----Original Message-----
From: civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
[mailto:civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw] On Behalf Of martha kwataine
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 7:02 PM
To: civs...@sdnp.org.mw
Subject: Re: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New
Secondary School Curriculum Next Year
Abbas
Thanks for sharing this. I enjoyed reading it. Lots of interesting issues
unfolding.
" Had i known is an elder brother to tears and regrets"
-----Original Message-----
From: "Abbas Panjwani" <ibc.m...@gmail.com>
Sender: civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mwDate: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:36:41
To:
bwalo-la-...@googlegroups.com<bwalo-la-...@googlegroups.com>;
civs...@sdnp.org.mw<civs...@sdnp.org.mw>
Reply-To: civs...@sdnp.org.mw
Subject: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New Secondary
School Curriculum Next Year
Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New Secondary School Curriculum Next
Year
26 July 2013 ,
By Joseph Dzuwa,
Source: Malawi News Agency
Zomba
The Final Secondary School Curriculum and Assessment Review (SSCAR)
Consultative meeting with University Deans from all Universities and
Colleges in the country was held in Zomba to ratify, modify and put
recommendations before its implementation next year.
Principal Secretary for Basic and Secondary Education in the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Anjimile Mtila Oponyo said the
meeting organized to consult the Deans from various Universities had come at
the right time to make sure their contributions are included to add value to
the curriculum.
Dr. Oponyo explained her ministry had consulted widely from Chitipa to
Nsanje meeting heads of schools to seek their views to make the syllabus
accepted as a national programme aimed at tackling the needs of the country
for social, political and economic development.
Asked on what has been the major change in the proposed new syllabus, the
Education PS said: "Language (Chichewa and English) teaching will be a
combination of language and literature as one subject."
Dr. Oponyo further said Physical Science has been split into Physics and
Chemistry from forms 1 to 4 adding emerging issues such as climate change,
disaster risk management, gender, information and communication technology
(ICT) were among others included.
She said her ministry found it necessary to consult the university experts
to contribute on the curriculum change especially to look into the
transitional part from the secondary education to university section.
The principal secretary also said her ministry is intending to put forward a
recommendation to parliament to consider abolishing the Junior Certificate
of Education (JCE) saying the examination at the moment has no meaning
because the standard formal education for employment has been raised to the
Malawi School
Certificate of Education (MSCE).
However, Dr. Oponyo was quick to say the matter needed wide consultation
with all sections of people to reach at a collective decision adding her
ministry had no final say on the matter.
"The current situation is that even if people get the Junior Certificate,
they cannot be employed. Therefore the certificate has lost its value.
Should we continue spending on preparing this examination and issuing the
certificates that will never be used? It's for all of us to decide," she
said.
Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) Director Dr. William Susuwele said the
new secondary school syllabus has taken into account, among other things,
citizenship, economic development, environmental management, occupational,
entrepreneurial, practical, scientific and technological skills.
He said according to the calendar in September 2014 the form 1 students will
start the new syllabus then forms 2, 3, and 4 in September 2015, September
2016 and September 2017 respectively.
Dr. Susuwele said as a center of curriculum development, they decided to
consult the Deans of Universities to make the syllabus rich and designed for
the smooth transition from secondary school level to university or college
level.
A cross section of participants from Chancellor College, Mzuzu University,
Kamuzu College of Nursing, Health sciences, Catholic University, Seventh Day
Adventist University, University of Livingstonia, Polytechnic and Domasi
College among others, attended the meeting.
Abbas Panjwani
T: +265 888 826 666 / +265 999 826 666 / +265 212 826 666
E: ibc.m...@gmail.com / abbasp...@gmail.com
P O Box 5587, Limbe, MALAWI
_______________________________________________
Civsoc-mw mailing list
Civs...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
_______________________________________________
Civsoc-mw mailing list
Civs...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
_______________________________________________
Civsoc-mw mailing list
Civs...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
Abbas
Abbas Panjwani
T: +265 888 826 666 / +265 999 826 666 / +265 212 826 666
E: ibc.m...@gmail.com / abbasp...@gmail.com
P O Box 5587, Limbe, MALAWI
-----Original Message-----
From: "story-kentmphepo" <kentm...@storyworkshop.org>
Sender: civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mwDate: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 10:22:46
To: <civs...@sdnp.org.mw>
Reply-To: civs...@sdnp.org.mw
Subject: Re: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce
New Secondary School Curriculum Next Year
This sounds like a great idea as long as it is not donor or politically
driven because it means that another political party or donor will change
the curriculum again to suit their ego. I also have problems if the
industry was not consulted on this change. If this change is meant to make
our education become relevant to our individual, household, communal and
national needs this is the way to go. However, I see several challenges
that the ministry has to deal with if any improvement will be registered in
the education sector:
1. Poor supply of teaching and learning materials.
2. Preparing teachers for the new curriculum.
3. Student and teacher behavior (too much indiscipline!)
4. Congestion in our secondary schools.
5. The gapping difference between private and public schools with most
government officials' children learning in privates schools or going abroad.
6. Community day secondary schools continuing to learn Physical Science
or Chemistry like history and a serious shortage of teachers in such
schools.
7. Lack of or poor inspection services in schools
8. Low motivation for work among teachers and the politicization of
teacher promotions.
9. Shortage of female teachers in most rural schools
10. The culture of business as usual in the Ministry of education in
general.
11. Exam cheating.
In my view, if these problems are not dealt with seriously, we will keep
changing the curriculum but our secondary schools will not produce the
intended results. Changing the curriculum comes with it new costs that I
don't think that we are ready or capable of shouldering. And even if we had
the money, I don't think that we have spine to improve things - too much
corruption, "allowance focused", etc.
Countrymen, do we really think that the problem with our secondary education
has to do with content or the system as a whole? Are we really ready to
provide the heavy cost that this change will bring? Who initiated this
change, a donor or ourselves?? Do we really have a national vision that we
want the new curriculum to contribute to?? I know that PICCAR (whatever
spelling is being used) has brought about many problems at primary school
level to the extent that most kids are not able to read "Malaya" in Standard
4 and efforts are underway to return to the old system in some sectors of
the education? Is this not enough chaos to learn from!!
I personally, I agree with the change. However, I have my doubts with our
ability to pull this off. Ours is a failed state that is very fast losing
its ability to improve the education system. We lack a national vision.
Politics will always dictate what should be in our curriculum. The UDF
government changed the curriculum to suit its political interests in the
1990s - 2000s. I still remember how literature was used to scandalize MCP.
Shallow books like ..... were put in the syllabus to get kids know the evils
of the One Party System. I will not be surprised if some shallow books
highlighting the evils of UDF and DPP are chosen this time round! For how
long are we going to play our education system??? Are we not ashamed with
the rampant cheating?
Just my opinion.
Kent
-----Original Message-----
From: civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
[mailto:civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw] On Behalf Of martha kwataine
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 7:02 PM
To: civs...@sdnp.org.mw
Subject: Re: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New
Secondary School Curriculum Next Year
Abbas
Thanks for sharing this. I enjoyed reading it. Lots of interesting issues
unfolding.
" Had i known is an elder brother to tears and regrets"
-----Original Message-----
From: "Abbas Panjwani" <ibc.m...@gmail.com>
Sender: civsoc-m...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mwDate: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:36:41
To:
bwalo-la-...@googlegroups.com<bwalo-la-...@googlegroups.com>;
civs...@sdnp.org.mw<civs...@sdnp.org.mw>
Reply-To: civs...@sdnp.org.mw
Subject: [Civsoc-mw] Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New Secondary
School Curriculum Next Year
Malawi: Education Ministry to Introduce New Secondary School Curriculum Next
Year
26 July 2013 ,
By Joseph Dzuwa,
Source: Malawi News Agency
Zomba
The Final Secondary School Curriculum and Assessment Review (SSCAR)
Consultative meeting with University Deans from all Universities and
Colleges in the country was held in Zomba to ratify, modify and put
recommendations before its implementation next year.
Principal Secretary for Basic and Secondary Education in the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Anjimile Mtila Oponyo said the
meeting organized to consult the Deans from various Universities had come at
the right time to make sure their contributions are included to add value to
the curriculum.
Dr. Oponyo explained her ministry had consulted widely from Chitipa to
Nsanje meeting heads of schools to seek their views to make the syllabus
accepted as a national programme aimed at tackling the needs of the country
for social, political and economic development.
Asked on what has been the major change in the proposed new syllabus, the
Education PS said: "Language (Chichewa and English) teaching will be a
combination of language and literature as one subject."
Dr. Oponyo further said Physical Science has been split into Physics and
Chemistry from forms 1 to 4 adding emerging issues such as climate change,
disaster risk management, gender, information and communication technology
(ICT) were among others included.
She said her ministry found it necessary to consult the university experts
to contribute on the curriculum change especially to look into the
transitional part from the secondary education to university section.
The principal secretary also said her ministry is intending to put forward a
recommendation to parliament to consider abolishing the Junior Certificate
of Education (JCE) saying the examination at the moment has no meaning
because the standard formal education for employment has been raised to the
Malawi School
Certificate of Education (MSCE).
However, Dr. Oponyo was quick to say the matter needed wide consultation
with all sections of people to reach at a collective decision adding her
ministry had no final say on the matter.
"The current situation is that even if people get the Junior Certificate,
they cannot be employed. Therefore the certificate has lost its value.
Should we continue spending on preparing this examination and issuing the
certificates that will never be used? It's for all of us to decide," she
said.
Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) Director Dr. William Susuwele said the
new secondary school syllabus has taken into account, among other things,
citizenship, economic development, environmental management, occupational,
entrepreneurial, practical, scientific and technological skills.
He said according to the calendar in September 2014 the form 1 students will
start the new syllabus then forms 2, 3, and 4 in September 2015, September
2016 and September 2017 respectively.
Dr. Susuwele said as a center of curriculum development, they decided to
consult the Deans of Universities to make the syllabus rich and designed for
the smooth transition from secondary school level to university or college
level.
A cross section of participants from Chancellor College, Mzuzu University,
Kamuzu College of Nursing, Health sciences, Catholic University, Seventh Day
Adventist University, University of Livingstonia, Polytechnic and Domasi
College among others, attended the meeting.
Abbas Panjwani
T: +265 888 826 666 / +265 999 826 666 / +265 212 826 666
E: ibc.m...@gmail.com / abbasp...@gmail.com
P O Box 5587, Limbe, MALAWI
_______________________________________________
Civsoc-mw mailing list
Civs...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
_______________________________________________
Civsoc-mw mailing list
Civs...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
_______________________________________________
Civsoc-mw mailing list
Civs...@chambo3.sdnp.org.mw
http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
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