TCM

Teachers Council of Malawi

The statutory regulator of the teaching profession in Malawi

TCM is the sole registering authority of teachers under the Education Act. Verify a practising licence by TCM ID, Old ID, or Registration Number — the same identifiers TMIS accepts — and see whether the certificate is still valid.

Request a licenceVerify a licence

About TCM

What the Council exists to do

The Teachers Council of Malawi was formally set up in August 2022 and inaugurated on 8 September 2023. It was established by section 57 of the Education Act. Section 62 gives it the Register of Teachers, the Roll of Licensed Teachers, teacher education and training, advice to the Minister, and professional and ethical standards.

Mission

To protect learners by ensuring every teacher in a Malawi classroom holds a current practising licence — indexed, registered, and renewable every three years.

Value to Malawi

Solutions for the teaching profession

The sole registering authority of teachers

The Teachers Council of Malawi was established by section 57 of the Education Act. It keeps the Register of Teachers and the Roll of Licensed Teachers so schools know who is authorised to teach.

Practising licences directors can check

A TCM practising licence is valid for three years or one year, depending on the class. Directors check TCM ID, Old ID, or Registration Number to see whether the certificate is still valid.

Student indexing and teacher registration

TCM indexes teacher-education students and registers qualified teachers before a practising licence is issued — so the profession is entered on one national roll.

Professional and ethical standards

The Council advises the Minister, sets professional standards, and supports continuing professional development so licensed teachers remain current.

A School Sphere register for campus hiring

School Sphere holds the TCM register used by directors. There is no public third-party TCM REST API yet — TMIS is a web form. This page answers whether a presented certificate is still valid.

Licence requests from any school

Campus leaders already on Sphere apply from Director HQ. Teachers and schools not yet on Sphere can request a licence here; officers follow up and invite the campus onto School Sphere.

  • A practising licence entered on the Register of Teachers and the Roll of Licensed Teachers
  • Directors verify a card by TCM ID, Old ID, or Registration Number and see whether the certificate is still valid
  • Three-year or annual validity, with renewal through continuing professional development
  • A public path to request a licence even if the school is not yet on School Sphere
  • Official TMIS form still available at tmis.teacherscouncil.mw for the Council’s own check
  • The same School Sphere campus record that holds enrollment, fees, and staff

How licensing works

01

Request a licence

A director or school admin applies for a teacher from Director HQ, or a teacher/school uses this page if they are not yet on School Sphere.

02

Complete requirements and pay

TCM officers send the checklist and fee. Pay in Malawi kwacha, upload the receipt, and wait for verification of the details on the licence.

03

Receive a TCM ID directors can verify

Once issued, the teacher receives a TCM ID (and may keep an Old ID or Registration Number). Anyone with one of those identifiers can confirm whether the practising licence is still valid.

Public register

Verify a practising licence

Enter the TCM ID, Old ID, or Registration Number — the same identifiers TMIS accepts. Extra fields are optional. The result is whether the certificate is still valid. School Sphere holds this register; the official TMIS page is a web form only.

Official TMIS form: tmis.teacherscouncil.mw/verify.php. That page is a web form only — this page does not call TMIS.

Licence request

Ask TCM to consider a teacher

School Sphere is the operating system for independent schools in Malawi. Directors and school admins apply for a teacher’s TCM licence from Director HQ, upload payment, and later verify any card a candidate presents. Schools not yet on Sphere can request a licence on this page and register a campus afterwards.

Directors apply on School Sphere

Schools already on School Sphere should apply from Director HQ so the licence sits against a real campus record.

Register the school on SphereAlready on Sphere? Apply inside

Contact

National office, Lilongwe

Published from the official TCM contacts. Use the licence request above for new applications. Schools can verify a presented card on this page without an account.

Office
Private Bag 35, Lilongwe 3 — Area 43, opposite Kanengo Total Energies Filling Station
Hours
Monday – Friday, 07:30 – 16:30