Mhuju Education Zone in Rumphi has awarded learners and teachers that have performed well in the 2019 Primary School Leaving Certificate of Examination results.
Rumphi District Education Manager (DEM), Macphine Mzumara, who presided over the awarding ceremony, said rewarding the best performing learners and teachers is one of the mechanisms his office has put in place to improve education standards in the district.
“It is a fact that the quality of education is going down in the district compared to the past, but we can’t continue to sit back and watch but rather wake up and do something to improve the current situation.
“One of the remedies we have put in place is rewarding those teachers and learners who have done extremely well so that both parties should be motivated,” Mzumara said.
Mzumara hailed Mhuju Education Zone for organising the event and urged other education zones in the district to follow suit, adding that his office was planning to organise a similar event to reward teachers and learners at district level.
“Let me commend this zone for being in the forefront in implementing what we have agreed as measures of improving education standards in the district.
“I should also report that in October, we will be rewarding best teachers and learners at district level so that our teachers should feel recognized,” Mzumara said.
The zone’s primary education advisor (PEA), Philips Msinawana Mwale said despite facing various challenges at workplace, teachers worked hard to deliver quality material to learners.
“Teachers face numerous challenges such as poor houses, shortage of staff and others and we thought it wise that we should recognise the good work they are doing.
“We can have dedicated teachers but on the other hand if our learners do not concentrate on studies, the teachers might be labouring in vain.
“This is why we have also rewarded those learners that have done extremely well in the zone to motivate the current crop of learners we have,” Mwale said.
The zone has been given a school bag each to three learners who have been selected to Rumphi Secondary School and a certificate of recognition to seven teachers who managed to produce grade A in various subjects.
One of the business tycoons at Rumphi Boma, Thokozani Gondwe of Momwitho Enterprises, has also given stationery to the three learners and promised to be giving them stationery until they complete their secondary education as a token of appreciation for their hard work.
Rumphi Education District is on position 32 out of the 34 education districts in the country, according to the 2019 Primary School Leaving Certificate of Examination (PSLCE) results.