LL City Mayor Commends DAPP TTC For Cross-border Education Tour Programme

Mayor Chaponders posing with DAPP students 

Students will travel by buses 

Lilongwe City Mayor, has commended DAPP Malawi Teacher Training College (DAPP TTC) for being the first teacher school in the country embarking cross-border education tour programme for its students.

His Worship, Willie Chapondera made the remarks in Lilongwe on Friday at a send off ceremony of Mzimba DAPP TTC students who are among a total of 354 first year students from four DAPP TTC’s who are on their three months education tour to some African Countries.

The first year students from all four DAPP TTC compasses are now spread across the country visiting various districts for three weeks beginning 1st March this year, and will leave the country in two weeks time for Zambia, Botswana and return through Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Chapondera

Speaking to Mzimba students who are visiting Lilongwe and other districts, His Worship Chapondera said he was pleased to note that DAPP TTC has included international field trips for the students.

"Education tours like this one are very important and must be encouraged because they assist learners come into direct contact with a different environment or even a new culture or language.” He said

He mentioned that educational trips stimulate learning beyond what textbooks can provide to the learning environment and has also encouraged the traveling students to make the most of the trip as well as carry Malawi flag wherever they go.

“It is very encouraging that DAPP is taking these students to various countries. We know that these students will gain a lot of knowledge within this three months period because they will be sharing experiences with other students as well as observing and learning about other things also" Said Chapondera later in an interview

Nozipho

Partnership Officer for DAPP Malawi, Nozipho Mguquka, said DAPP introduced this tour programe in 2013 as part of the first year students training called Crossing the Rubicon. She emphasized that these tours are very important because students are offered opportunity not only just to travel to Southern African countries but as well learn different things including on economic development, traditions, education, political systems and the basic facts about the countries.

“At DAPP Teachers Training College we appreciate the importance of educational tours and this is why we always make sure that we organize tours to other countries in order to give our students exposure.” said Mguquka

Some of the students meeting with Mayor 

Mguquka said these tours are helping in academic performance of students and that through experiences and knowledge learn from such trips some who completed their studies at DAPP have introduced various initiatives including adult literacy education to rural communities they are working as primary schools teachers.

Among others, she also indicated that the 354 students will travel by buses and will visit historical sites, learn about countries they are visiting and share experiences with other schools.

DAPP Malawi has four primary school Teacher Training Colleges; Amalika, Chilangoma, Dowa and Mzimba.