The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday joined the Association for Teachers of English in Malawi (ATEM) Northern Education Division (NED) Chapter in awarding secondary school students who did well in an essay writing competition on the theme "the role of the youth in combating corruption".
147 essays written by students from different secondary schools across the Northern Education Division were submitted and a team five markers drawn from across the division went through the assays to determine five winners.
ATEM NED President, William Phiri, presented the results during a workshop on improving performance of students held at Katoto Secondary School attended by headteachers and deputy headteachers from all secondary schools in the division.
Thokozani Kondwani, a 14-year-old Form 3 female student from Mzuzu Government Secondary School emerged the overall winner and got a certificate, a gold medal and K150, 000.00 sponsored by the Education Division Manager, Jennings Matalambanda Kayira.
Ambwene Kaonga and Andy Simpokolwe both male and both in Form 4 at Chitipa Secondary School were second and third in the senior section and got K100,000.00 and K50,000.00, respectively. In the junior section, it was Sophia Chilale and Fazila Manduwa both female and both in Form 2 who were on the second and third position, respectively. Sophia Chilale is from Chitipa Secondary School while Fazila Manduwa is from Mzuzu Government Secondary School.
On its part, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) spoiled the winners with assorted ACB branded materials that included notebooks, calendars and 2 metre pieces of cloth each.
Speaking at the event, the Education Division Manager hailed ATEM NED for its innovations aimed at improving performance of students in English as a subject.
"The innovations by ATEM NED have seen the division taking a new direction in order to improve students' performance. I wish to thank the ACB in a special way, for coming in to support the efforts by the division and ATEM NED in particular in efforts to boost education standards," remarked Jennings Kayira.
Principle Public Education Officer from the ACB, Edward Kamvabingu, said ACB came in after learning through the social media about what ATEM NED was doing and the theme of the essay left it with no choice but to jump in and support.
"Corruption is a cancer that our country is continuously fighting. It is therefore very important that the youth get fully educated and empowered to join the fight so that they become responsible future Malawian citizens," said Kamvabingu.
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On his part, ATEM NED President, William Phiri, thanked the EDM for his sponsorship of the overall winner.
"As teachers of English, we have a crucial role to play since the rest of the subjects except perhaps for Chichewa and French are taught in English. Therefore we cannot just sit but come up with initiatives that can help to improve performance of students in the subject, hence the essay writing competition.
"The ACB has come at the right time to partner us in awarding these winners. It is our hope that more entities from the corporate world can also come in and support us in our future endeavours," explained Phiri.
During the event, ATEM NED also awarded outstanding teachers of English from top performing schools in latest MSCE results. The teachers are from Jalawe Community Day Secondary School in Rumphi, Maghemo Secondary School in Karonga, St Mary's Girls Secondary School in Karonga and Karonga Girls CCAP Secondary School.
The Northern Education Division (NED) emerged number one in the 2022 MSCE results on 60%.
