By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, May 30, Mana: Ministry of Education has said capacity building for teachers in leadership positions was essential in improving primary school performances.

Director for Teacher Education and Development in the Ministry Dr. Zizwa Msukuma said this on Wednesday after opening a 16th batch of Capacity Building for Primary School Teachers at Linde Hotel and Thope lodge in Mponela, Dowa and are drawn from Kasungu.

He said the Ministry decided to start undertaking the school leadership programme because it observed a gap in school leadership affairs which was negatively affect performance of schools.

"Most school leaders assume positions without undergoing any orientation to their positions and this has created some challenges which have negatively affected the learning outcomes of the schools. That is why the Ministry in conjunction with partners decided to mount the Malawi Education Reform Programme, specifically the school leadership programme.

"This aims to build and strengthen the capacity of our school leaders in primary schools by equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge and altitude which we feel will improve the quality of teaching and learning in our schools," Msukuma said.

He said since conducting trainings from the first batch, follow up exercises indicate there has been significant upgrade in teaching and learning in schools with leaders who have undergone the orientation.

"We believe these exercises will continue to play a pivotal role in improving education standards in primary schools," Msukuma added.

Team Leader of the School of Education and MIE Consortium that developed the training programme, Symon Chiziwa said the training has four key thematic areas.

"The first one is on building inclusive cultures in schools, motivating teachers and rewarding performers, utilizing and maintaining school records, and finally, mobilizing resources for the schools," he said.

The 10-day training is targeting Primary Education Advisors, Head Teachers, Deputies and Female Section Heads.