Government, mission schools renew agreement
The Ministry of Education and the Association of Christian Educators in Malawi (Acem) Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which seeks to guide on how the two institutions could corporate in the provision of quality education in the country.
The MoU replaces an agreement that the two parties have been following in mission schools.
Among others, the new pact places a responsibility of additional infrastructure development in mission schools in the hands of government.
Acem Chairperson, Archbishop Thomas Msusa, said the church will always provide support to government in education using available resources.
Would like to register our deep gratitude to the government for the corporation, collaboration and consultative approach it work in the review process of the MoU.
“We do not take for granted the governments moral, material and financial support from the beginning to the end of the whole review process. It has been no easy task but today we are glad the process comes to fruition as the two sides commit pen to paper,” Msusa said.
He also asked the Ministry of Education to help with the payment of salaries of support staff in mission schools in the wake of Covid-19.
Msusa said although government pays the salaries of teachers in the mission schools, the coming of Covid-19 has affected the welfare of support staff in the institutions.
But Secretary for Education, Justin Saidi Said the issue of bailout is beyond his ministry, saying it would be handled at the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19.
The request of a bailout by Acem comes at a time the Independent Schools Association of Malawi has asked for K5.7 billion from government to help pay distressed schools.
According to Saidi, the renewed MoU also addresses the issues of selection of students into mission schools.
Apart from the education sector, the church has also been working together with government in health and other areas.
