REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

STATEMENT BY
HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. ARTHUR PETER
MUTHARIKA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
MALAWI
AT THE
OFFICIAL OPENING OF CHIRADZULU TEACHERS
TRAINING COLLEGE

16TH SEPTEMBER 2015

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Your Excellency Madame Getrude Mutharika, First

Lady of the Republic of Malawi

Right Hounourable Dr. Saulos Claus Chilima, Vice

President of the Republic of Malawi

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Dr.

Emmanuel Fabiano, M.P.

Secretary For Education, Science And Technology Mrs.

Lonely Magreta;

Chairperson of Swiss National Committee for UNICEF,

Mr. Hans Kunzle;

UNICEF

Country

Representative,

Mr.

Mahimbo

Mdoe;

Member Of Parliament for this Constituency, Hon.

Joseph Mwanamveka, M.P,

The Traditional Authority Of This Area T.A. Nkalo;

Division

Manager

for

Shire

Division, Mr Christopher Naunje

All Development Partners;

Members Of The Press;

Ladies and gentlemen

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Highlands

Educatin

Today, a more perfect vision is completed. It highly

honours me to come here fulfilling dreams of the people. It
also deeply humbles me to remember the foundations we
set for our children. Children are the most precious treasure
of our future. As a child, this is the place where I came to
do my primary education at Namanjazi. My teachers gave
me their best of quality education. I became a Professor.
Later, I became Minister of Education and I returned one
day to lay the foundation stone for this Teachers Training
College. Today, I have returned yet again to say: let us give
our best of quality education to our children.
As Government, we are committed to improve the quality
of education in this country. We are increasing teachers in
order to reduce teacher-pupil ratio in our primary schools.
We are set to achieve the qualified teacher-pupil ratio of
1:60 by 2017. Currently, the qualified teacher pupil ratio is
at 1 to 78. This is still unacceptable!
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I want us Malawians
to be a people who raise the flag of our standards very
high. We deserve the best, and we must aspire to be at our
best.
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But a nation cannot rise without standing on the shoulders

of the teacher. As we say, Teaching is the one profession
that creates other professions. Therefore, we must produce
the best quality of teachers. This new training college, and
more to come in Chikhwawa, Mchinji and Rumphi, will
provide an inspiring environment for producing high
quality primary teachers. Let us aim high and maintain high
standards.
Government is taking deliberate policy measures to ensure
high standards in our education system. Education is where
we begin the making of a nation.
Recently, Ministry of Education Science and Technology has
launched the National Education Standards. This will ensure
that every learner across the country is getting the best
possible education, regardless of his or her social economic
status. It should never matter who you are, or where you
come from, because we all deserve the best of mankind.
Like other colleges, this training college is part of our
agenda to create a better life for all. My spirited conviction
is that government is there to make you the people happy
in the end. Whether it is through better schools and
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education, better roads, healthcare, we govern to make us

see that a better quality of life is possible. And to enable us
to achieve the best of our potentials! And with high quality
education; with love for our dear country; with integrity;
and with hard work, we will rise to the best of our destiny.
Finally, let me thank Swiss Natcom for the financial support
you rendered in the construction of this college. We will
not forget your commitment to our national cause. I also
thank UNICEF for facilitating the construction of this
college. We will not forget that you have always laid our
stepping stones. And to all our friends and development
partners, I say, it is a good humanitarian cause to support us
to teach our children.
I will close my address by dedicating this college to our
children; so that we may care for it as we care for our
children. Our pursuit for happiness also lies in what we do
for our children.
I now declare Chiradzulu Teachers Training College
officially opened. And I thank you for your attention.

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May God bless us all and may He Bless mother Malawi!

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