Malawi has an 8-4-4-education system consisting of primary school, secondary school and university education with few opportunities for pre-school. The educations system in Malawi faces many challenges in most areas including areas of access, equity, quality and internal efficiency. In its publication; A Policy and Investment Framework for Education in Malawi 1995-2005, the Ministry of Education has covered most of these challenges and problems and also outlined government policy being put in place to address them.
Most of the information available here on education in Malawi will be linked together here.
SCHOOL EDUCATION
Primary School
This is the duration of compulsory education. Most children start formal education at primary school at the age of six. The primary school takes 8 years from Standard 1 to 8 at the end of which pupils write the Primary School Leaving Certificate examinations. These are jointly set, conducted and marked by the Ministry of Education and the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB). Students have to pass and get selected if they are to attend secondary school education in a government secondary school.
The introduction of Free Primary Education in Malawi has seen a large increase in the number of pupils going to primary school but this increase in access has also brought major infrastructure problems and a big decline in quality.
Secondary School
Secondary school education takes 4 years from Form 1 to Form 4. Students can attend secondary school in public schools run by the government or in private schools run by the private sector and individuals. The quality of secondary education varies widely inn both sets of schools. In general, fees in private schools is more than 50 times that in public schools. For along time, secondary education was very restrictive in Malawi but this situation is changing positively due to rapid expansion of private schools as well as government run community day secondary schools. A directory of secondary schools in Malawi is available here.
Students in secondary schools sit two examinations, a Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) at Form 2 and a Malawi School Certificate Examination (MSCE) at Form 4. Both of these examinations are set by MANEB but jointly administered by MANEB and the Ministry of Education. Performance or pass rate at MSCE have been falling sharply in the last few years reaching a low of around 16% in 1999 prompting a Presidential Commission of Enquiry into the dismal performance. In these recent years MSCE administration has been beset with many serious cheating cases resulting in governmnet cancellation of the examination in 2000 less than one week before commencement of sitting and dismissal of the head of MANEB.
Selection takes place at Form 4 to various colleges including vocational colleges, technical colleges and to the only two universities, the University of Malawi and the University of Mzuzu. The latest selection list to University of Malawi is available here
A few private high schools are available mostly in Kasungu, Blantyre and Lilongwe that run British style A-Level courses and examinations. However most of these require fees which are well outside the reachability of almost all Malawians.
HIGHER EDUCATION
University
The Universty of Malawi, opened in 1965, offers a wide range of bachelors degree and a few masters degree courses through its 5 constituent colleges widely spread out in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi. The recently opened Mzuzu University situated in the Northern Region, offers an education degree course but has plans to open other areas of training in the near future. Most students in the University of Malawi are government sponsored on full scholarships. This is changing in 2001 as the University has announced a significant increase in fees in a measure to increase cost sharing and improve its dwindling resources that come from government to run its programmes. The University of Mzuzu started out with nearly fully economic fees from its very beginning in 1997.
Stages of studies
Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type):
Technical and training colleges offer courses in such fields as Forestry, Marine Science, Social Welfare and Hotel Management, as well as in various trades. These courses lead to certificates awarded after studies lasting between six months and four years.
University level studies
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University level first stage: Bachelor's Degree:
The Bachelor's Degree is generally conferred after five to six years' study. A professional qualification is awarded as a Diploma after three years' study.
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University level second stage: Master's Degree:
A Master's degree or a professional qualification is conferred after one to two years' study beyond the Bachelor's Degree.
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University level third stage: Doctor's Degree:
The Doctor's Degree is conferred after three to five years' study beyond the Master's Degree. Candidates must submit a thesis and spend at least six months in residence.
Teacher education:
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Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers
Primary school teachers are trained in primary teacher training colleges. Teachers obtain the T2 (senior primary) or T3 (junior primary) Teachers Certificate after one year's study. T2 colleges admit students with the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and T3 colleges admit students with the Junior Certificate Examination (JCE). The Malawi Institute of Education provides introduction courses to give school-leavers the basic skills to act as "assistant" or "pupil teachers".
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Training of secondary school teachers
Secondary school teachers are trained at Chancellor College that offers a four-year educational programme and at a college of education for secondary school teachers at Domasi in Zomba. The fifth year consists of professional studies and teaching practice. The course leads to a Bachelor of Education degree. Technical teachers are trained jointly at the Polytechnic and Chancellor College. The Government has opened the Mzuzu University that now trains secondary school teachers.
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