inadequate and inferior physical infrastructure; inadequate teaching and learning materials;
poor monitoring and supervisory systems; poor access for children with special needs; poor
retention of girls mainly from standards five to eight; negative impact of HIV/AIDS; and
poor participation of school committees and their communities in school management
(MGDS 2006:50).
73. In response to the challenges, Malawi is implementing a priority, fast-track programme to
strengthen primary education, which will be the base for all other education developments.
The programme combines policy measures, quality improvement and investments, through
three sets of strategies listed below. Through policy and other measures, Malawi plans to
give all children a quality primary education.
74. Government shall mobilise communities to participate in ‘whole-school development’ and
management for both normal and special needs pupils. It shall also ensure appropriate
decentralisation of delivery of education services which incorporates processes of planning,
budgeting and financing, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) while introducing policy
measures to reduce the size of classes in Standards 1 and 2. There is a plan to reduce
repetition, drop-out and enrolment of over- and under-age children, and to encourage
promotion between standards, reinforce HIV and AIDS awareness, girls empowerment,
safe schools (child friendly schools); and monitor performance and strengthen internal
efficiency of sub-sector.
75. In addition to the fast-track programme, the following guiding principles are critical for the
envisaged positive change in primary education between 2008 and 2018:
(a) Ratio of pupils to teachers progressing to a 1:60 ratio by 2013/14 and below 1:60 ratio by
2017/18;
(b) Percentage of teachers eligible for hardship fund increasing from 15% in 2008/09 to
30% by 2014/15 and staying at 30% thereafter;
(c) Transfer of teachers transferred from CDSSs to primary schools starts with 300 in
2008/09 and thereafter 200 teachers;
(d) Using Distance Education Teacher Trainees as a measure of reducing the pupil to
teacher ratio to 1:60 by 2013/14. Starting with 4,000 temporary (voluntary) teachers in
2008/09;
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