University of Malawi (Unima) Vice Chancellor, Professor Samson Sajidu, has said the university needs more lecturers to accommodate the growing number of students.
Sajidu said this during the first congregation ceremony for the year 2024, when 2,313 students graduated from the university at three sessions held from Wednesday to Thursday.
“There is a ratio of tutors to students of 1:33. The recommended one is 1:17. Therefore, we would love it if the government nods to our request to have more lecturers so that we can beef up our team,” he said.
Sajidu also cited lack of teaching space as another challenge they are facing.
Chairperson for Unima Council, George Partridge, urged graduands to be people of integrity.
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He said their behaviour in the outside world should reflect Unima values.
In his remarks, Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education Levis Eneya said the government is proud to have graduated a good number of students in its mission to educate the citizenry.
“This is no mean achievement. We are proud that we have sent such graduates into our economy. This means that government is complementing its own efforts to have more people educated,” he said.
The students graduated in different programmes from institutions which include Unima, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.
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This is because the students were enrolled in the university before the delinking of Unima constituent colleges.
Wednesday morning, 749 Unima students walked out of the university corridors with certificates, diplomas and degrees.
The sessions continued in the afternoon on Wednesday and this morning (Thursday).
Out of the total graduands, 44 percent are female while 55.9 percent are male.
One of the graduands, Mapopa Ndengu, who graduated with a degree in quantify surveying from Mubas [with distinction] hailed Kwithu Women’s Group for sponsoring his education.
The organisation was founded in 2004 and operates in Luwinga (Mzuzu City) and offers education support to over 350 beneficiaries.
