Teacher Allowance
Teachers Allowance in Malawi, Rural Teachers, Packages, Minimum Wages, Decent Work and more on Mywage Malawi.
By Sam Banda Jnr
Malawi teachers, especially those from rural areas who are extremely poorly paid, have something to smile about following the introduction of a hardship allowance of 5,000 Malawi Kwacha.
According to the 297 billion Malawi Kwacha budget for 2010/2011, presented by Minister of Finance Ken Kandodo, teachers in rural areas will receive a hardship allowance of K5,000. This is above the government Minimum Wage of K3,025.
Urban and Rural Schools
Teachers in both primary and secondary schools are employed as civil servants. A survey conducted by the Malawi government reveals that many teachers opt to teach in urban schools where life is easier.
This has led rural areas to be starved of enough teachers, hence the introduction by the government of the hardship allowance.
One of the rural teachers, John Somba, says they travel long distances to their schools and that in most cases they have difficulty finding houses to rent.
“We spend more on transport with our salary, unlike in urban areas. The allowance is a good initiative but it is not enough,” says Somba. He says he receives a salary of less than K15,000.
Salaries vary
Somba says teachers’ salaries vary. Those teaching in primary schools are paid differently to those in secondary schools, while having good qualifications is also a factor.
A survey conducted by Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) in February 2010, revealed that teachers receive a monthly salary of between K15,000 and K17,000. With the hardship allowance the rural teachers take home package will be more than K20,000.
