Education in Malawi – Malawi Schools Trust

Background to education in Malawi

Education is seen as a vehicle for promoting national consciousness and cohesion and as a catalyst for economic development. Primary school education is free and well stablished. Secondary school is less well established and costs £25 per term per child.

In 2012, a UNICEF Malawi Annual Report wrote, “One extra year of primary school boosts a girl’s future wage 10 to 20 percent and an extra year of secondary school increases that earning potential by 15 to 25 percent.” Education increases the chance for girls to receive employment opportunities and higher incomes.

Community Day Secondary Schools

Most secondary schools in Malawi are Community Day Secondary Schools(CDSS). These schools are initially built by local communities not by Government. Community leaders in a village take it on themselves to build a basic campus with 1-2 classrooms and an Administration Block.

In Malawi these CDSS’s become the strategic hub for these dispersed rural communities. Once the CDSS is established the Government provide teachers and limited resources for teaching. But then, after the initial activity by the community, the schools often struggle to develop. If pupil numbers drop the school is then unable to cover maintenance costs and the school continues to decline.

The good news is that attached to secondary schools are several community groups that take an interest in supporting the school.

These include:

Tribal Elders
Board Of Governors
Parent Teacher Associations (PTA)
School management committee (SMC)
Teachers
Mothers Group
Student Pupils Council

Generally the most active groups are the PTA, SMC, and Mothers Group.

With our relationship with these groups , communities become empowered, and the schools once again become hubs with a sustainable future.

For example, in Mikuyu a health clinic has been established and a road bridge constructed to enable the area to be accessible 365 days a year. These are all profound secondary benefits of our work.

The challenge of pupil retention and how MST responds

Whilst Primary schooling is compulsory in Malawi and close to 100% of children go to Primary School, less than 10% of children complete their secondary education, especially in rural areas.

There are many reasons for poor retention in schools that we are proactively tackling.

Rural school pupils in Malawi have an average commute of 5-10kms each way. The time and energy/calories required for these journeys detracts from the learning day. Exhaustion contributes significantly to the number of students dropping out each year.

This is further exacerbated for girls who typically must fulfil family duties e.g. carrying water, cooking before walking to the school. In addition Girls are vulnerable to sexual harassment and attack on their journeys.

MST’s Response: We work with World Bicycle Relief to provide Bicycles to Pupils and Teachers. We also build Hostel for Girls as safe places where they can Board during the week.

If schools are perceived as poor value (e.g. limited resources and teachers), parents withdraw their children.

Many rural schools have only one text book per subject. Pupils have no or limited access to this one book. Most rural schools have no electricity, not even a solar panel. This restricts the time of after school study and revision. It also affects Pupil engagement and commitment.

The teaching of computer studies, physics and home economics are a particular weakness in schools. In 2020 only 38000 pupils were being taught computer studies in Malawi. Low enrolment in Computer Studies has a profound implication on Malawi’s participation and competitiveness in a digitised globalized economy.

MST’s Response: We improve schools by the provision of Teaching materials such as Text Books and Lab equipment. Electricity infrastructure for IT, building materials for learning places e.g.Laboratories.

Parents of children in rural Malawi live by subsistence farming. They survive by growing their own crops. Parents pay for school fees when they have sold excess farming products ( typically Maize, Cassava) for cash. The Central region of Malawi, where we work, was once a major Tobacco harvesting area and an important cash crop for Parents. The decline in the Tobacco industry has pur extra pressure on household budget.

If the parents are unable to generate the £10 required for school fees they will withdraw their child for a term or for ever.

MST’s Response: We work with Community groups to support Parents with payment of Fees and support Girls with Menstrual caps and training.

Girls are vulnerable in rural areas to becoming pregnant, getting married or raped. This is partly connected with the distance issue (1) above.

MST’s Response: We provide SRHE training and menstrual caps to Girls at the schools. Mothers Group funds young mothers and needy children to return to school.

Background to education in Malawi

Community Day Secondary Schools

The challenge of pupil retention and how MST responds

Our vision

More about MST

Where we work

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About Malawi

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