CBMP Analytical Report Part 1 - Transparency and Accountability ...

56.3% of the schools affected, classes are combined to cater for the absent teachers, in
31% of the schools, pupils are given sporting activities and knock-off earlier while the
rest (12.7%) postpone lessons until the teacher comes back. Further interrogation
showed that 61.2% of the affected classes are the senior ones (Standard 6 – 8). It was
explained by teachers themselves that it is easier to just give a simple written exercise
or copying notes to senior classes by any make-shift teacher to cater for the teacher’s
absence without necessarily teaching them and they lose main lessons for that day.
On the other hand, others (including pupils) felt that the worst affected are the junior
classes (Standard 1 – 5) because they are usually kept singing or sent-off to the play
ground where they would play for long hours and finally sent home without doing
anything academic work (unlike senior classes where at least they take some
academic activities).
On a positive note, timely payment of salaries improves the mood in the mood in the
schools. This was attested in Mulanje, where a Mr. Mailosi, Standard 8 Teacher
confirmed that ‘when his salary is received, he teachers longer hours, up to possibly
4pm in the afternoon as he tries to prepare his class for National Examinations’. But
when there is no pay and his household is in problems, ‘he postpones all these
extended classes or even not come to class to ensure that his family’s welfare is in
place. This implies that with merely ensuring that teachers receive their salaries
timely, it would facilitate better learning and quality teaching services, warmly
teachers behaviour towards pupils and improved commitment as well as good
learning environment among others.
3.2.8 Pupils’ Behaviour
In response to the above, the study revealed that pupils have since developed certain
undesirable behaviour as a result of their own observation of the teachers’ behaviour
towards and around pays days. The study affirmed 6.6% of the pupils tending to come
relatively late to school because they are not sure whether they were going to learn or
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