Malawi promotes 740 primary teachers to secondary school roles to address staffing shortages

Malawi’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has promoted 740 primary school teachers to secondary school positions, part of a broader strategy to improve staffing and education quality across the country.

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in Malawi has announced the promotion of 740 primary school teachers to secondary school teaching positions nationwide, marking a significant step in the government’s efforts to improve education quality and staffing. According to Principal Secretary for Basic and Secondary Education Rachel Chimbwete Phiri, this promotion follows a recommendation from the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and targets teachers currently at primary school grades TJ, TK, and TL, advancing them to secondary school teacher grades TI.

These teachers predominantly hold upgraded qualifications, including Bachelor of Education degrees or general bachelor’s degrees with a University Certificate of Education (UCE). Many have already been serving in the secondary sector under administrative arrangements, underscoring the formalisation of their roles through this promotion. The move follows a previous elevation of 275 teachers to the same grade, demonstrating continuity in government efforts to bolster secondary education staffing.

Furthermore, the TSC has recently issued a vacancy advertisement inviting applications for more grade TI teacher positions. This recruitment drive is open not only to the serving teachers within the specified primary grades but also to non-serving candidates who meet the educational qualifications. This broad eligibility aims to increase the pool of qualified secondary teachers and address the longstanding shortages in the sector.

This promotion and recruitment phase forms part of a larger government commitment to both incentivise teachers and improve learning outcomes for students. The Ministry advocates that ongoing recruitment and promotion of teachers are essential in tackling the challenges posed by high pupil-teacher ratios and enhancing education standards across Malawi.

These measures align with earlier larger-scale recruitment efforts by the Ministry of Education, which recently recruited over 9,700 secondary school teachers across various grades, aiming to meet the demand for qualified educators countrywide. Similarly, under President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration, more than 2,600 secondary school teachers were recruited and over 2,200 promoted, alongside thousands advanced to senior roles such as Heads of Departments, reflecting a robust and multifaceted approach to staff development across the education sector.

The need for these promotions is also linked to addressing structural staffing imbalances. The Ministry has clarified policies following concerns about the appropriate placement of teachers holding primary education degrees. Those with qualifications traditionally aligned with primary education have sometimes been promoted into secondary or teacher training college positions, leading to imbalances such as overstaffing in training colleges and teacher shortages in primary schools. The Ministry now emphasises graded promotions within primary and secondary structures based on merit and vacancy availability, thereby ensuring a more strategic allocation of teaching resources.

Despite these initiatives, the Ministry has reiterated that promotion is not an automatic consequence of training but is contingent upon competitive interviews and vacancy availability. This policy aims to maintain a transparent and merit-based promotion system that selects teachers most suited for advancement.

Overall, the government’s ongoing recruitment and promotion strategy underscores its dedication to resolving critical human resource challenges in Malawi’s educational system. By formalising the status of qualified teachers and opening opportunities across levels, it seeks to enhance the quality of teaching and learning, ultimately benefiting the country’s broader development goals.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
8

Notes:
The narrative was published on September 15, 2025, and reports the promotion of 740 teachers by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in Malawi. This is a recent development, with no earlier publications found within the past seven days. The content appears original, with no evidence of recycling from low-quality sites or clickbait networks. The narrative is based on a press release from the Ministry, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified.

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative includes a direct quote from Principal Secretary Rachel Chimbwete Phiri. A search for the earliest known usage of this quote did not yield any earlier matches, indicating that the quote is likely original or exclusive to this report.

Source reliability

Score:
9

Notes:
The narrative originates from The Times Group, a reputable organisation in Malawi. This adds credibility to the report. The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education is a verifiable entity with a public presence and legitimate website, further supporting the reliability of the information.

Plausability check

Score:
9

Notes:
The claim of promoting 740 teachers aligns with previous reports of teacher promotions in Malawi, such as the recruitment and promotion of 9,753 secondary school teachers in February 2024. The narrative provides specific details, including the date of the press release (September 13, 2025) and the name of the Principal Secretary, which enhances its credibility. The language and tone are consistent with official communications from the Ministry of Education.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and originates from a reputable source. The claims are plausible and supported by specific details, with no evidence of disinformation or recycled content.