Thyolo District Council has called on newly promoted primary school teachers to remain professional in their duties and avoid misconduct that could undermine their performance and that of learners.

District Commissioner Hudson Kuphanga made the appeal on Friday when he presided over the presentation of promotion letters to some of the 1,300 teachers who have advanced in rank across the district.

“We expect our teachers to focus on their core duty, which is to provide quality education. Malpractices and involvement in politics only derail performance and affect learners,” said Kuphanga.

He hopes the promotions will improve the district's performance and reduce the teacher to learners ratio which stood at 62.

District Chief Education Officer, Rebecca Misiri, hailed the development, describing it as a morale booster for the teaching profession.

“Promoting teachers from grades K to G is very significant. It will encourage them to redouble their efforts in teaching, which will, in turn, improve school performance in Thyolo,” Misiri said.

Meanwhile, One of the beneficiaries, Charles Mankhwala, head teacher at Nankhumbo Model Primary School, who has been promoted to grade I, expressed gratitude to both government and the council.

 “I am grateful for this recognition. The promotion will not only motivate us as teachers but also push us to work harder for the success of our learners. We pledge that we will go on the ground and help our learners. We also appreciate the council for organising this special event to honour us,” said Mankhwala.

The promotion exercise is part of government’s efforts to address long-standing concerns of delayed teacher promotions, which have often affected morale in the education sector.