(ii) Adult literacy;
(iii) Out of school youths; and
(iv) Primary education;
(b) Secondary education;
(c) Teacher education;
(d) Technical and Vocational Training;
(e) Higher Education.
64. ECD is considered as an important pillar in attaining the goals of Education for All. Malawi
has 6,277 ECD Centres registered as pre-schools. The attendance in these centres for the
targeted pre-school children is at 30% with most concentrated in urban and semi-urban
areas.
65. ECD is fraught with a number of challenges which includes lack of a systematic monitoring
and evaluation system; poor conditions of ECD centres due to lack of support and poor
coordination of stakeholders; lack of integration of special needs in ECD provision; poor
advocacy for information on importance of ECD; lack of parental and community
involvement in ECD provision; acute shortage of trained teachers in ECD; lack of standard
instructional materials; and insufficient public funding towards ECD activities.
66. Government intends to tackle issues of access and equity in ECD provision and further
improve quality and relevance of ECD in Malawi. By developing a database for ECD,
promoting the profile of ECD and developing ECD legislation, government hopes to
improve governance and management issues. It is also hoped that at least 80% of up to 5
years will access ECD by 2017 with an average growth at 17.5%.
67. The increase coverage of ECD services will be based on the current basis of 84% CBCCs,
4% day care centres and 12% pre-schools. Each ECD centre will increase the number of
minimum classes from two to three in order to curb underage enrolment and prepare five
year olds for entry into standard one (primary education) at an appropriate age of six years.
Thus, three classrooms will still be levels 1 and 2 although level 2 will have separate classes
for ages 4 and 5 with a relatively modified syllabus/course content. Communities, as
Community Based Care Centres (CBCC), will be encouraged to establish ECD centres
through grants which will be accessible upon meeting minimum standards. Each education
19 | P a g e