The Development Aid from People to People DAPP Malawi has celebrated 20 years of implementing the Teacher Training Program, with an emphasis on the importance of well qualified teachers in achieving quality education service provision in the country.
Moses Bokosi, Deputy Principal of DAPP Chilangoma Teachers Training College, the first college which DAPP established in 2003, told MIJ Onliñe that DAPP is training teachers using a holistic approach to carter to the academic and social needs of learners.
Speaking at a big walk in Blantyre to mark the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the existence of DAPP Teachers Training Colleges, Bokosi said for teachers to be effective they must possess leadership skills, community engagement as well as teaching skills to ably contribute to the improvement of education standards in the country.
“It has been quite a journey since 2003 and we are really appreciative of how we have travelled to this day. We are building skilled teachers with the capacity to perform well in rural as well as urban areas.
On teaching and learning we are advocating for theory and practice to go hand in hand as well as equipping them with other skills such as leadership and community engagement to be able to meet the needs of students coming from diverse family backgrounds,” said Bokosi
Meanwhile Joyce Chizumo, first year student at DAPP Chilangoma Teachers Training College told MIJ Online that the holistic approach that DAPP is undertaking in training teachers is equipping them with necessary tools to effectively engage students and help them learn.
“When I started teaching school at DAPP my expectations were very basic but this is a very good college that Inspires and gives me confidence of becoming a capable and skilled teacher. At DAPP they not only train us but build a whole human being, capable of uplifting the education standards in Malawi,” Chizumo said
In 2003 DAPP established the Chilangoma DAPP Teacher Training College with only 32 students to support government efforts in addressing the widening teacher-pupil ratio in the country, in 2008 the second DAPP College was established in Thyolo, in 2010 Dowa DAPP Teacher Training College was established and then the Mzimba Teacher Training College was established.