Friends of Malawi: Learn About Malawi: About Malawian Geography

Malawian education is based on the British education system. Accordingly, children begin their education in Primary School (Standards 1-8), move on to Secondary School (Forms 1-4), and may get selected to attend one of the nation’s universities. Schooling at the primary schools is free; most villages have a primary school, and basic education materials (pens and paper) are provided by the Ministry of Education. Education at the secondary level is structured in two tiers: Secondary Schools (located in the district capitals, for students selected because of their high test scores, and provided free of charge), and Community Day Secondary Schools (located in the outlying villages, available to all students, and provided at a charge). While there are some private secondary schools, these tend to be even more expensive than the government-run Community Day Secondary Schools. Some missions sponsors Community Day Secondary Schools in partnership with the government; these schools tend to have better facilities than the average Community Day Secondary School, and fees are on-par with the schools run by the government alone. The school year is based on the trimester, and runs, roughly, from January to November with month-long breaks between the trimesters. The curriculum includes such courses as Physical Science, Mathematics, English, Biology, Bible Knowledge, History, and, at some schools, Latin and Frenchs. The universities are divided into various specialties (Chancellor, for science, law, and education; Bunda, for agriculture; Polytechnic, for business and engineering; College of Medicine, for medical doctors, and the College of Nursing for nursing students), and are offered free of charge, provided the student’s test scores are high enough to secure him or her a place.

Like the British system, the Malawian education system is exam-driven. Advancement from Standard 8 to Form 1, from Form 2 to Form 3, and from Form 4, ultimately, to the University level all depend on passing a standardized exam. Placement in a University is dependant on scoring highly on the MSCE exam at the end of Form 4—a rare event. To put this in perspective, the MSCE exam is equivalent to the A or O levels of the British school system. For Americans this is equivalent to a mix of high school and first year college requirements—so the examinations really do demand a high level of achievement from the students. Perhaps the best description of the system today is “overburdened”—the school system, particularly the primary schools and community day secondary schools, expanded rapidly after the conversion to a democratic system of government. But the number of qualified teachers has not kept pace with the expansion, and some schools have teachers teaching levels they themselves have not passed. Class sizes of 100 or 120 are common in the primary schools, and Community Day Secondary Schools can have 60 or 80 students per teacher—especially in the lower forms. The Secondary Schools have smaller class sizes and better-trained teachers, but it is difficult for students to obtain a place there, and corruption plays a large role in who gets admitted. The language of instruction also presents a barrier to learning: while not all communities speak Chichewa at home, Chichewa is taught to primary school students early on, and instruction takes place in that language. By Form 1, students are expected to be conversant in English as well; secondary school instruction materials and exams are written in English, though practicality demands that teachers frequently conduct education in Chichewa. Because of large class sizes, limited teaching strategies and materials, and sporadic class attendance, many students entering Community Day Secondary School cannot understand English sufficiently to understand the lessons. Thus, it can be as much of a challenge for students to understand the questions on the exam as to answer them.