MUCHE PVT Schools

Sun 7 Mar 2021 10:15

Moto watentha bus ya AXA yomwe inali paulendo wopita ku Karonga kuchokera ku Mzuzu.

Ngoziyi yachitikira pamalo otchedwa Luwuchi ku Chiweta m'boma la Rumphi.

Pakadali pano sitikudziwa za chomwe chayambitsa, kukula kwa vutoli ndi kuchuluka kwa anthu omwe akhuzidwa.

Bungwe la aphunzitsi la Teacher's Union of Malawi TUM lati aphunzitsi onse mu sukulu zaboma ayamba kunyanyala ntchito lolemba pa 22 February 2021, kamba koti boma silikuwapatsa ma allowance a COVID 19.

Sukuluzi ndi ma primary, secondary ndi ma TTC.

Nduna yoona za maboma aang'ono m'dziko lino la Malawi a Lingisoni Belekanyama, amwalira ndi nthenda ya COVID-19.

PRESS STATEMENT

For immediate release
August 10, 2020
Ministry of Education
Lilongwe

ONLINE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

When the Government ordered the closure of education institutions on 23rd March, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education encouraged institutions to explore ways of reaching out to students and sustaining academic contact with them in modes other than the traditional face-to-face mode. When it became apparent that the closure period would be prolonged, many higher education institutions began to consider the possibility of embracing online learning as a viable option and alternative.

While online learning is a recognized alternative delivery mode of education worldwide in this information technology era, we have extremely limited experience of this mode of education in Malawi. Questions have therefore been asked about the legitimacy and efficacy of online learning, the minimum standards and guidelines for an effective online education, the position and endorsement of Government for online learning in institutions of higher education, the linkage between this and fees, the feasibility and desirability of exams in online learning and the closure of semesters and opening of new semesters within the online learning set up.

This statement is an effort by the Ministry of Education to attend to such questions and offer a conducive and supportive atmosphere to the higher education sector.

This statement applies specifically to institutions in the higher education sub-sector, but the general principles may also apply to institutions in other sub-sectors of education, such as independent primary and secondary schools.

The Ministry of Education is therefore pleased to inform higher education institutions, students, parents and the general public that online learning and Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) are acceptable modes of education delivery in higher education. Online teaching and ERT is inevitable now as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

As higher education institutions embark on ERT and online teaching, the need to support teaching and learning is critical through fees payment. Needy and deserving students are currently supported through the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board. It is therefore expected that all students will have to pay the applicable tuition fees for them to participate in this regard just as they do with the face to face learning. The Ministry is aware that some students may not have the necessary gadgets and associated data to enable them to effectively participate in the online and ERT. To this end, The Ministry is currently, exploring with several public and private sector institutions including development partners to find solutions for gadgets and airtime that are required to successfully implement ERT and online teaching. Among such ways being explored, the Loans Board, where applicable, will allow the use of upkeep loans for eligible students to access gadgets.

Ministry of Education expects institutions to maintain quality when offering online learning. Quality of online education takes consideration of the unique characteristics of an online learning environment and aims to provide learning experiences with comparable academic rigor reflective of similar programmes delivered through face to face. This entails use of management and student support systems that are effective for online instructional delivery, assessment, and provision of student feedback.

As part of continuous quality improvement, institutions are therefore encouraged to:

(a) Follow the Quality Assurance Guidelines on learning materials in multiple media, human resources, curriculum and pedagogy, as specified by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in the minimum standards;

(b) Take adequate measures for training and capacity building of its academic and administrative staff and students advisors at regular intervals;

(c) Ensure that the quality of programmes of study offered through online learning are maintained at par with standards obtaining in the conventional mode of classroom teaching as prescribed by the NCHE;

(d) Award only qualifications as specified under its certificate of accreditation; and

(e) Ensure that the academic and instructional facilities at its learner support centres, and information resources for online delivery of programmes meet the guidelines laid by the NCHE from time to time and are commensurate with the number of programmes and enrolments thereto.

COVID-19 has brought many unexpected challenges that have necessitated a new way of thinking about how we can optimize our teaching and learning using the new technologies available to us. The Ministry of Education considers these challenges also as an opportunity to develop new and improved means of educational delivery. Online learning can be considered in the short term as a remedy to the current crisis; however it is anticipated that the lessons learned and the skills acquired in this period will enhance the capacity and the quality of higher education delivery in the future as we move beyond COVID-19. Indeed, the lessons learned have potential to go beyond the higher education subsector and encompass and inform future delivery of early childhood education, primary education, secondary education and technical education.

Together, we will defeat COVID-19.

Chikondano M***a
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION