When I first came to Malawi it was part of a joint project between the Canadian Teacher’s Federation and the Teacher’s Union of Malawi… I was impressed by the work done by the union to help their members upgrade. I became good friends with Denis, the secretary General of (Teacher’s Union of Malawi (TUM).

On subsequent visits I’ve realized that TUM is not an obvious advocate for its members. Most teachers resent having to pay union fees which I believe are about 1% of their salaries. When teachers complained to me about these dues I would always respond by explaining all that a teacher’s union could do. I told them that the union was there to fight for their rights and to ensure the best working conditions for them. I gave them examples of how my union has helped me and my colleagues. I was a big advocate of TUM.

In the news lately there’s been much talk about the poor quality of housing provided for teachers. Having stayed in three teachers’ houses I can attest to the difference in quality. Only one of them was comfortable with running water and kitchen cupboards and an indoor toilet.

Teachers here are paid on a scale depending on qualifications. Every 3 to 4 years teachers are given an opportunity to advance their salary by participating in an interview. This year 11 teachers were selected out of thousands to move to the next pay level. It is widely believed that the interview process is not fairly judged on skills and experience but on name, tribe and connections.

A friend of mine is a teacher of physical science. One day as he was leaving for class a grade 12 boy came to him and asked if he could watch a DVD in his house. My friend allowed the boy into his house to watch a DVD then went off to teach a class. While teaching he realized he’d forgotten a book he needed. He sent a female student to his home to retrieve the book. The girl was gone for a brief time and returned the book without saying anything to my friend.

The next day my friend was called to the assistant principal’s office where he was informed that the girl was pressing charges against him and the boy. The teacher was told to report to the police… At the police station the teacher was arrested and held overnight on a charge of facilitating a sexual assault.

The following day the teacher was released on bail. He was told to appear before the court the following week. When he appeared at court he was detained for several hours then told to go home. This scenario was repeated about six times over the course of three weeks. Finally the man was told that the court officers were on strike but the police kept insisting that he return to submit his pleas in front of the magistrate.

Eventually the teacher and a friend went to see the parents of the girl. The boy and the girl had been in a similar situation two years ealier.The parents of the girl agreed that the teacher was not at fault but insisted that he must pay them $550 or they would continue with the case. My friend was able to convince them with the help of a mutual friend to reduce the amount they wished him to pay. They agreed to accept $200 and drop the charges.

Yesterday, after five weeks of struggling and negotiating the man was told that his name has been cleared. He was also told that he could accept a transfer to another school but if he did that he would never again be granted a transfer.

I told this story to the Secretary General naively thinking he would tell me to tell my friend to contact TUM. He did no such thing. In fact, he did nothing and said nothing.

I plan to write an article for my union magazine about the union here but first I need to hear from the union about how they feel they are helping teachers. At this point with the terrible houses and the lack of support I am having trouble seeing how the union is an asset here.

Tags: jennifer douma, malawi

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