Train teachers to teach on radio and tv.

Overcrowding in most classrooms of public primary schools in Malawi is a threat to the spread of corona virus and Covid -19. For example, recent average teacher to pupils ratios in  a class are 1 to 80 when the recommended ratio was 1 teacher to 60 pupils per standard class size of 6m by 5m in the absence of Covid - 19. Currently, if we adhere to Covid - 19 preventive restrictions, these classes can accommodate not more than 30 pupils reducing the recommended teacher to pupils ratio by from 1: 60 to 1:30. As away of reducing congestion, learning period per day was cut into two sessions thereby reducing the overall learning period. Well articulated and arranged TV and Radio programs can provide extra learning time to pupils and excel in there education. The intervention can also promote learning culture and reduce playfulness of children.

There are high teacher to pupil ratios in most public primary and secondary school classrooms in Malawi.  However, due to inadequate infrastructure available at a school the number of pupils per class are just too high with other schools getting to a maximum of 120 pupils in a class. The spread of Covid-19 has just worsened the situation in the sense that threaten preventive measures of maintaining social distancing and adhering to specific sanitation standards. The already high numbers made delivery of lesson difficult by a single teacher per learning period. This thwarted quality of education in countries like Malawi especially in public schools. Reduction in learning time to accommodate recommended number of pupils in respecting Covid 19 preventive measures has further reduced learning time and obviously  limit delivery of lessons as time is cut. Provision of extra learning space can be an alternative but this is costly and may provide a long-term solution. This solution is specifically responding to the problem of thwarted education due to limited learning space and cut of learning time to limit number of pupils reporting at a school per time due to Covid - 19. 

This solution involves engaging community radio stations and national TV stations. Providing capacity to primary school teachers to be able to teach through radio and supervised by authorities and advertise times of broadcasts to the community. It also involves mobilizing the community to ably organize  children either to specific places where pupils can have access to radio depending on their classes. It also involves building the capacity of radio program producers and TV presenters to be able to produce radio lessons which will attract the interest of the pupils. It involves having responsible individuals whether could be parents or someone pointed by the community to look after the pupils during lessons in making sure that disturbances are being minimized. It also involves supporting media institution with resources and funds to compensate on time allocated to education. Its involves having a responsible department from the Ministry of Education to look after the delivery of radio and TV lessons to make sure that are in tandem with the national curriculum and that are examined to ascertain on access to lessons and progress of the pupils. It involves monitoring to verify how many pupils enrolled to a specific school have access to the radio lessons. 

This solution has the potential of promoting the learning culture of pupils, reducing aimless mobility while at homes which is mostly a threat to Covid - 19 as well as avoiding being too playful as is the case with most children coming from rural areas. The intervention provide extra learning time to children and therefore potentially improve the thwarted quality of education due high numbers of pupils experienced in a classroom setting. It also responds to the problem of limitation in learning space and shortage of teachers. One teacher can provide a radio lesson that go to all pupils of standard 4 in the whole country of Malawi at a time for example. Communities can also become more focused to issues that can help the future of their children than it is now.   

We have numerous community radio stations already available to carry out the work. Some radio programs were tried and proved to impact on the education of pupils by Save the Children through Tikwere. Most community settlements are nucleated and therefore easy to get organized and mobilize children to a radio listening spot.

We have just initiated the intervention at secondary school level.

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