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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 Highlands Educatin

Division, Mr Christopher Naunje

All Development Partners;

Members Of The Press;

Ladies and gentlemen

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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!