Education authorities say they are committed to recruiting teachers under the Initial Primary Teacher Training (IPTE) 14 amid growing concerns of unemployed workforce.

The assurance follows an ultimatum the teachers gave government to consider mass recruitment of the educators who are yet to be enrolled into the education system.

According to Secretary for Education Chikondano Mussa, government has planned to commerce the recruitment of the teachers next year based on availability of funding in the forthcoming financial year.

She said: “Concerns that were raised, were well received, I know that they are pushing for mass recruitment mastery, which may or may not be possible, but government has committed to continue recruiting teachers. So we l be recruiting them by cohort.

“We have finalised with cohort 13 the whole vetting, we have now started with cohort 14 as we are recruiting cohort 14 some of them will be permanently recruited, some others will be put on auxiliary a teaching those who want because it’s not a forced programme, but those who want to volunteer to come and teach as auxiliary teachers, we are giving them that opportunity.”

Mussa has however stressed that government will continue training the teachers despite accusations from various quarters over its failure to recruit them.

“In the budget to year 2024-2025 what we will do is to beef up those numbers resources allowing and we are not mentioning the sort of numbers because it depends on what we will receive as resources for recruitment.

“Government doesn’t stop recruiting personnel across all its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) but for government to recruit, there has to be vacancies and budget to support that particular recruitment,” she said.

According to a press statement released by the Ministry earlier this month inviting IPTE 19 shortlisted applicants to attend interviews next month, the candidates are reminded that IPTE programme does not warrant automatic employment by the Malawi Government.