Food & Education- a Partnership
In the previous article we looked at the food of Malawi. In particular we learned just how the foods that appear on the table in Malawi depend heavily on the vagaries of Mother Nature. In this article we take an in-depth look at the child in education in Malawi.
Malawi’s Educational System
In Malawi a child aged anywhere between 5 years to 7 years of age will start to attend a nearby Primary school. While the age is not so important the child should in theory be able to place one hand over his/her head and touch the ear on the opposite side!
Of course in more recent years, particularly with the influence of international organisations, there has been an increase in nurseries & kindergartens. Families who can afford to send their children to private nurseries often do so from the age of 2-3 years. Others send their 4-5 year olds to the village nursery (known as Community-Based Children Centres) which are also increasing in number.
Primary school lasts 8 years & Middle school another 4 years. With good grades it may even be possible to continue to university or a third-level college although this is highly dependent on the family’s financial resources.
In exceptional cases a student may be able to “skip a year” & it is possible for an 11 or 12-year old to enter Middle school early.
Educational Opportunities
In truth only a handful of students progress to secondary school after graduating from middle school due to the financial constraints of the family. Although there is little discrepancy in male/female enrolment at the time of primary school by the time of middle school only 3 in 4 girls continue in schooling and far fewer graduate. Reasons are many- early pregnancies, marriage or simply a lack of financial support.
There is a cultural element also. In the Karonga & Mzimba areas in Northern Malawi the girl’s family will often receive a cow from the family of the groom and there is a view that marrying children off early makes sense. On the other hand there are people who think that if a girl can finish her education she can become an earner and assist the family and who encourage girls to remain in school.
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８年生女子
Subjects in School
Subjects include the National Language (Chewa), Maths, Science, Social Studies, English, Life Studies, Agriculture, The Bible & Art (a mix of drawing, PE & Home Economics).
Passing a national test is a requirement to continue in education and with the passline in Primary school set at 200 points from a maximum score of 600 points there are still many students who repeat the year due to poor results.
Children’s Dreams
This year prior to the final exam in May for Primary School students attending 8th grade I asked the students what they would like to be in the future. The girls responses were perhaps surprisingly better than the boys- the girls all had clear goals- they wanted to be teachers or nurses, join the police or become a judge.
Where the road had been swept away by the rains I met some boys who were trying to replace the soil on the unpaved road. Although they were likely anywhere from 4th to 7th graders they too wanted to be policemen, lawyers, nursers and even the President!
The cause of women of course has been helped to a degree by Joyce Banda- Malawi’s 4th President and for many following the path of education is the way to a better future. It’s certainly more hopeful for the future of Malawi.
Additional Info: An Overview of Changes in Education
According to Page 40 of “50 Years of Malawi in Charts” primary school enrolment increased soon after the provision of free primary education in 1995. However while 38% of those students continued to middle school only 1% went any further. Few children were in receipt of a higher education. Yet it is to the children we look to for the future. It is for that purpose that Seibo provides a regular hot meal at school in Malawi –for the future of Malawi.
