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Abstract:
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This report is about missed opportunities in the delivery of education services in Malawi as well as how the hoped for objectives for reform can be salvaged. The report describes the reforms aimed at improving access to, and the quality, equity and relevance of, education, and which will fulfil international, regional and national commitments.
The report also outlines existing constraints on reform and the challenges to be faced in overcoming them. The most important among the reforms since the restoration of multi-party democracy was the introduction of free primary education (FPE) in 1994, which increased access to primary as well as secondary education. This initiative created educational opportunities for many children, but it simultaneously placed additional stress on an education system that was already weak in terms of human and financial resources. The increased intake necessitated more teachers (especially for qualified teachers at all levels), the wider provision of teaching and learning materials, and expanded buildings and facilities. But while enrolment grew, there was little expansion of infrastructure, and not enough transformation in the management and governance of the sector to meet the new demands.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has developed many good policies, but implementing the policies has been a challenge due to a lack of trained personnel, insufficient finances and weaknesses in accountability systems. The MoEST shows signs of policy overload and implementation fatigue due to the constant development of new education policies, which leaves little time for their implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In the process, good education plans, strategies and policies are being frustrated and the quality of education services compromised. This discussion paper gives an overall picture of how the Malawi government, through the MoEST, is trying to improve governance in the sector as a means to improve the delivery of public education services.
The paper also highlights the ministry’s achievements to date as well as the challenges it currently faces. First among these challenges is to realise the international commitment to provide ‘Education for All’. This commitment entails providing all children – particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities – with access to free and compulsory primary education of good quality.
AfriMAP believes that the report can help promote meaningful dialogue between different stakeholders to set national priorities and ensure effective implementation of development strategies. |