Chakwera speaks tough on unaccredited learning institutions

* Ministry of Education directed to track down all institutions that prey on young people by operating without accreditation

* Malawi cannot be fixing the problem of education standards when schools are already operating without meeting minimum education standards

By Lisa Lamya, MANA

President Lazarus Chakwera has instructed the Ministry of Education to close down all unaccredited education institutions that are operating below standards, saying government a duty to protect Malawians from exploitation and ensure that standards are upheld in the country.

Chakwera issued the instruction yesterday after inspecting a new administration block which is under construction at Kamuzu College of Health Sciences (KUHeS), a project which is pegged at MK19 billion.

“I am directing the Ministry of Education to do more in tracking down all institutions that prey on young people by operating without accreditation,” he said, adding that Malawi cannot be fixing the problem of education standards when schools are already operating without meeting Malawis minimum education standards.

Commenting on new administration block, KUHeS Vice-Chancellor, McPherson Malewa said the project will among others ease teaching space challenges that the institution is currently facing.

“We would like to appeal to government to ensure that we meet expected completion date for the project which is May 2025, currently the project has stalled but we are hoping that the President’s visit will assist in terms of fast-tracking the construction process,” Malewa said.

Meanwhile, Chakwera launched the Clinical Research Excellence & Training Open Resource Centre (CREATOR) in Blantyre, with a call for researchers to ensure they conduct researches that add value to national development.

The magnificent CREATOR building valued at £9.5 million (equivalent of MK19 billion) has been built by the Liverpool-Welcome Programme, with funding from the Welcome Trust and additional funding from the University of Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

“Government is committed to create an enabling environment for scientific research to thrive and the launch of this building will help Malawi address critical health problems,” Chakwera said, while expressing optimism that through various research that will be conducted at the CREATOR, issues of counterfeit drugs will be addressed.

Director of the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Programme, Professor Henry Mwandumba, reaffirmed their commitment to complement governments efforts in the attainment of the MW2063 national vision.

Mwandumba said the realisation of the vision is dependent upon a healthy nation, adding: “Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust believes that the launch of CREATOR will provide an environment for high quality research that will contribute to health policies and a healthy nation.”

While the Vice-Chancellor Mallewa described the launch of the CREATOR as key in achieving research excellence in Malawi: “As partners, KUHES is geared to take health research to greater heights and the CREATOR building is a facility that will be critical to this cause.”

Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima said the creator is a game changer for Malawi: “Research conducted by Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust has made a significant impact on Malawis health sector just to mention.”

She added that Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust is behind the creation of the typhoid conjugate vaccine which is administered to children in Malawi.