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| Opinion |
| Editorial |
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by
Editor, 11 November 2006
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06:11:56
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What’s wrong with the Ministry of Education?
The chameleon pace at which various issues surrounding the K187 million Ministry of Education scam clearly shows gross inefficiency that can only make the objective of correcting wrongs and improving standards in this key sector to national developmental an impossible feat to accomplish.
It’s almost a decade now since the scam happened but it’s not known if even a single thief who got rich at the expense of our children by claiming payment for school blocks they never constructed have been brought to book.
Instead, we still witness the nightmare of the 21st century where some children still learn under the kachere tree as did former President Kamuzu Banda in the 20th century. No progress!
Now we hear the depressing news that some 60 contractors who claim to have done an honest job are still waiting to be paid. It is indeed as ironic as it is amazing that the same government which was quick to pay fraudsters for the job that was never done can take all these years to pay those who did an honest job.
Obviously, sad stories like that of Rhoda Chiputula, owner of Thembinkosi Building Csontractor, who says she lost to financiers a house and a plot in Lilongwe which were used as collateral just because government has not yet paid the K8.6 million it owes her makes a mockery of government own policy to promote small and medium businesses among Malawians.
We shudder to imagine the interest that has accrued on the amount government owes to the honest contractors.
But more depressing is the larger picture of things that do not seem to add up in the Ministry of Education. While the contractors have waited for years to get paid, we he somear teachers too have not been paid October salaries. Some have not been paid for September, either.
Should we expect such disgruntled teachers to give our children the best as they learn under the kachere tree or in dilapidated classrooms? We urge government to seriously look into the performance of the Ministry of Education for the sake of the boy and girl child—the leader of tomorrow.
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