Teacher Training Colleges, Malawi

There are two Teacher Training Colleges in Malawi. One in Blantyre which is in the Southern part of rural Malawi, and one in Lilongwe, the capital city.

The Teacher Training Colleges in Malawi were established as a result of the need for qualified rural primary school teachers following the introduction of the free primary school education policy in 1994. This led to a rapid increase in primary school enrolment and the constant demand for qualified teachers.

The colleges train modern rural primary school teachers for rural areas where development is lacking and the need for qualified teachers is high. They are producing teachers who are creative, rich in initiative, innovative and ready to create development in the rural school and community.

Students are trained to take development work as an integral part of teaching profession. The training programme is for 2 ½ years and is divided into 8 periods.
The periods are:

1st The world in which we live
2nd Our country - Malawi
3rd We continue building our college
4th Teaching practice and further studies
5th Specialisation and charter subjects
6th Teaching practice
7th The Pedagogical Workshop
8th Final Examination

In the 1st period the students are learning about the world in general, exposing them to international education. They do courses, research work, experiments, carry out investigations and study contemporary issues like conflicts and wars, HIV/AIDS, development and poverty.

In the 2nd period students focus on their own country, Malawi, and study it in a practical way through field work and getting information on culture, history and practices from different regions.

The 3rd period is construction work at the college. The students upgrade buildings at the college or construct new buildings. The construction experience is essential for the students in preparation for the construction work in the rural schools.

In the 4th period, school practice and further studies, students are teaching at a neighbouring primary school for half a day and use the other half-day for studies, integrating practice and theory.

In the 5th period the students choose one or more subjects to specialise in, and in addition a charter subject. The charter subjects are dedicated to different aspects of community building.

The students work as teachers for 11 months in the 6th period, doing their teaching practice. Apart from the teaching in the classes the students engage in community development initiatives as an integral part of the school practice period. The students reach out to the community with adult literacy classes, community development projects and awareness campaigns.

The 7th and 8th period - Back again at the College, loaded with new experience, it is time for a short course on "The Pedagogical Workshop," and then the final examinations and graduation.