Malawi government allocates money to Ministry of Education avoiding teachers’ strike
Malawi’s Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development has allocated 2.9million dollars to the Education Ministry to cover teachers’ leave grants in the proposed 2016/17 National budget to avoid a looming teachers’ strike. Minister Goodall Gondwe also allocated 157 million to teachers’ salary in the budget.
Teachers issued a petition giving the government until May 9th to resolve their grievances or face a nationwide strike. The teachers are demanding their payment arrears of leave grants allocated in 2015/16 fiscal year and payment of salary arrears as well reports The Nation
Teachers make up the highest percentage of the civil servants with over 80,000 teachers believed to be serving in public schools.
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development has also allocated 16 million dollars for the recruitment of 10,500 primary school teachers and 466 secondary schools teachers for the next 12 months. Meaning the Treasury will be looking for money to fund all these allocations.
