New syllabi not ready | Karen Msiska

Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Source: The Daily Times (Malawi)

Ministry of Education has not yet released new syllabi for standards 4 and 8, leaving teachers at confused.

The syllabi were supposed to be ready by the opening of the new term on December 7; however, as of Friday teachers expressed ignorance as to when the new syllabi – released under the Primary Curriculum and Assessment Review (PCAR) – would be released.

“As I am talking to you now, standard 4 and 8 pupils are not learning simply because teachers do not know which material to teach them,” said a teacher working in Mzuzu City.

“As a parent, I am worried because government has shortened the learning period for the new academic year. Delay in releasing the syllabus means reduction in the period within which the pupils will cover the examinable material.”

But Ministry of Education spokesperson Lindiwe Chide said the books just delayed; however, “the problem should end soon as distribution of the books has started and that some teachers have already been oriented.”

She dispelled fears that the delay could affect the performance of standard 8 pupils examinations, stressing the exams are not set from what has been covered in the class alone.

Government reduced the length of terms in the new academic year from 13 weeks to 11. The length of inter-term holidays has also been reduced to two weeks.

This means that in the first term, pupils will have eight learning weeks from a possible 10. Two weeks are for examinations while one is for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

“This is especially bad for the standard 8 pupils because they will sit exams at the end of the academic year,” said another teacher.

Teachers in a number of primary schools indicated that standard 8 and 4 pupils were revising what they had learnt in previous classes as a means of just keeping them busy.

Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE) National Coordinator Benedicto Kondowe was baffled by the delay.

“Was the curriculum review done just for the sake of it or with a purpose? If these things go beyond the timeline without completion then you tend to question the leader,” said Kondowe.