By Twink Jones Gadama
Education authorities in the Northern Education Division have raised alarm over the deteriorating performance of students in English subjects across secondary schools. Concerns have been expressed regarding the recent MSCE examination results, which revealed an insufficient number of distinctions among students in the division. The decline in English proficiency has become a cause for worry, particularly in areas such as composition, comprehension, grammar, and reading.
Northern Education Division Manager, Jennings Kayira, addressed these concerns while inaugurating a two-day capacity-building workshop organized by the Association for the Teaching of English in Malawi (ATEM), in collaboration with the Anti Corruption Bureau and Vanguard Assurance Company. Participants included English teachers from various districts within the division.
Kayira emphasized that during the 2022/2023 MSCE examinations, the division saw a lackluster performance, with only 40 distinctions achieved in the entire division. This subpar performance across multiple English disciplines has become a major concern for educationists and education authorities.
Expressing his gratitude, Kayira commended ATEM for their proactive stance in improving the teaching and learning of English in secondary schools. These interventions, aimed at equipping educators with effective teaching strategies, have been well-received and appreciated by the teaching community.
ATEM, in collaboration with other stakeholders, organized simultaneous workshops in Mzuzu, Mzimba South, and Karonga districts. Teachers from all districts within the Northern Education Division actively attended the workshops, which ended on Friday. The workshops served as platforms for English teachers to enhance their teaching skills, exchange ideas, and collectively find solutions to the declining performance in English subjects.
The declining performance of students in English subjects within secondary schools in the Northern Education Division has prompted education authorities to express their concerns. The lack of distinctions in the recent MSCE examination results has shed light on underlying issues in areas such as composition, comprehension, grammar, and reading.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Association for the Teaching of English in Malawi (ATEM) initiated capacity-building workshops in partnership with other organizations. These workshops, held across multiple districts within the division, aimed to equip English teachers with effective teaching methodologies and foster collaborative solutions to improve English proficiency among students.
It is hoped that the educational interventions implemented in response to this concern will yield positive outcomes, ultimately leading to an improvement in English grades and the overall academic performance of students in the Northern Education Division.
