Blantyre, January 30, Mana: Ministry of Education, through Malawi Education Reform Programme (MERP), has constructed a school block with two classrooms worth over K31 million at Makhetha Primary School in Blantyre to provide conducive learning environment for learners.

Speaking during the monitoring of construction works this week, Minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima said that through MERP, government is expected to construct about 11,000 classrooms by December this year in various primary schools across Malawi.

She emphasised the need for the government to build more classroom blocks to address overcrowding of learners in many primary schools in the country.

“This intervention is very paramount as it will add more blocks and facelift the schools to attract other learners to come to school; at the same time, it will also address the overcrowding challenge experienced in many primary schools,” the minister added.

Wirima said that through MERP, government has also recruited more than 4,000 auxiliary teachers to meet the recommended standard for learner-teacher ratio.

“We would like to recruit these teachers permanently and in large numbers because we know that for the country to achieve good quality education, having adequate teachers is pivotal,” she added.

Headteacher for Makhetha Primary School, Nophan Chipelere, commended government for constructing the classroom blocks, adding that the development will help reduce the overcrowding of learners, as the school has over 4,000 learners.

“With the few blocks, we were having double shifts, but the construction of the classroom block will enable learners to learn in a conducive environment and will be able to concentrate on their studies," the headteacher said.