Overview of the Country
Background:1 2
- Official name: Republic of Malawi
- Location: South-eastern Africa
- Population: 21.7 million (2024 projection)
- Capital: Lilongwe
- Official language: English
- National languages: Chichewa (widely spoken), plus other local languages (e.g., Chitumbuka, Chiyao)
- GDP: $13.2 billion (2023)
- GNI per capita, PPP: $1,120 (2023)
Membership of Regional Economic Communities (RECs):
- African Union (AU)
- Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
- African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Additional Resources:
Sources:
Education Priorities, Policy and Strategy References
- Achieving universal primary education (current Net Enrollment Rate (NER): 85%)
- Improving transition rates from primary to secondary (currently low)
- Reducing high pupil-teacher ratios (often >60:1 in primary)
- Improving education quality (notably in literacy and numeracy)
- Expanding STEM, digital education, and TVET programs
- Addressing gender, regional, and urban-rural disparities in access and completion
- Enhancing girls’ education and retention
Policy and Strategy References:
- National Education Sector Investment Plan (NESIP) 2020–2030
- Malawi Vision 2063
- National Girls’ Education Strategy (2020)
- National Inclusive Education Strategy (2017)
- Early Childhood Development Policy (2020)
Additional Resources:
- UNESCO: Malawi Education Country Brief (2024)
- Ministry of Education, Malawi
- Ministry of Gender, Malawi
Governance and Structure
Governance Structure for Education:[1]
The Ministry of Education oversees the education sector, which is organised into Basic Education (including Early Childhood Development, Primary, and Secondary), Higher Education, and TVET sub-sectors. There are also decentralised District Education Offices responsible for local administration. The Ministry sets policy, standards, curricula, and oversees examinations, in addition to ensuring equity and quality of education.
Education System Structure:[2]
- Eight years of primary education (Standards 1–8)
- Four years of secondary education (Forms 1–4)
- Tertiary education includes universities, teacher training colleges, and TVET institutions
Access and Participation
School age population (2023):[1]
- Primary: 5.5 million
- Secondary: 1.5 million
Gross enrolment ratio:[2]
- Pre-primary: 45%
- Primary: 110%
- Secondary: 40%
Completion rates:[3]
- Primary: 54%
- Secondary: 24%
Repetition and Dropout Rates:[4]
- Primary: Dropout -16%; Repetition - 20%
- Secondary: Dropout – 10%; Repetition – 8%
Number of Out-of-School Children:[5]
- Total: 1.4 million (primary and secondary age)
Learning Outcomes
Malawi administers three major national examinations managed by the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) and the Ministry of Education:
- Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination (PSLCE): Taken at the end of Standard 8 (primary school completion). It covers six subjects: English, Chichewa, Mathematics, Social and Religious Studies, Primary Sciences, and Arts and Life Skills. Passing at least five subjects, including English, is required to pass. The PSLCE results determine selection into secondary schools.
- Junior Certificate of Education (JCE): Taken at the end of Form 2 (junior secondary). It serves as a basic employment certificate and a progression checkpoint.
- Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE): Taken at the end of Form 4 (senior secondary). This exam is critical for high school completion and post-secondary admissions. The 2024 MSCE pass rate was approximately 54.79%.
- Percentage of primary-age children not proficient in reading: 87%
This indicates a significant challenge in foundational learning among primary school children in Malawi.
Out-of-School Children:[5] [6]
- Share of primary school-aged children not enrolled in school: 14%
This reflects ongoing issues with access and retention in primary education.
Below Minimum Proficiency Level (MPL):[7] [8]
- Proportion of children who do not achieve the minimum proficiency level at the end of primary school: 85%
A large majority of children leave primary school without achieving the expected minimum proficiency in key subjects.
Learning Poverty Gender Gap Comparison:[9]
- Human Capital Index (2020): 0.41
- Learning-adjusted Years of Schooling: 4.5 years
These indicators reflect the overall quality and quantity of education adjusted for learning outcomes, with gender disparities present but not quantified here.
Summary Table: Malawi Learning Outcomes
| Indicator | Value / Description |
| National Examinations | PSLCE (Standard 8), JCE (Form 2), MSCE (Form 4) |
| PSLCE Subjects | English, Chichewa, Mathematics, Social & Religious Studies, Primary Sciences, Arts & Life Skills |
| MSCE Pass Rate (2024) | 54.79% |
| Primary-age children not proficient in reading | 87% |
| Primary school-aged children out of school | 14% |
| Children below minimum proficiency at primary exit | 85% |
| Human Capital Index (2020) | 0.41 |
| Learning-adjusted Years of Schooling | 4.5 years |
Teaching
School Facilities
School infrastructure and facilities:[1] [2]
- Percentage of primary schools with access to electricity: 25%
- Percentage of primary schools with functional libraries: 10%
- Percentage of primary schools with functional laboratories: 5%
- Percentage of secondary schools with access to computers: 30%
- Percentage of schools with functioning toilets: 60%
- Percentage of schools with drinking water: 70%
- Percentage of schools with access to internet: 10%
- Percentage of schools accessible to children with special needs: 20%
TVET / TVSD
TVET is a government priority for youth employment and skills development:[1] [2]
- Number of TVET institutions (2023): 70 public and private
- Percentage of youth in TVET: 7%
- Percentage of youth in the NEET category: 20%
- Share of students attending non-governmental TVET institutions: 35%
- Urban youth unemployment (15–24 age group): 10%
National TVET policies and systems:
- Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Act, 1999
- National Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Policy (2013)
- National Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (Registration of Informal Education and Training Institutions) Regulations (2017)
- National Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Standards (2022)
- TEVET policy review 2019: Malawi
- Malawi TEVET Authority (TEVETA) oversees accreditation and quality
Higher Education
Equity and Inclusion
Gender Parity Index (GPI) gross enrolment ratio (2019):[1]
- Primary: 1.03
- Primary and secondary: 0.99
- Secondary: 0.83
- Tertiary: 0.57 (2011)
Proportion of enrolled children with disabilities (2019):[2]
- Share of the population with disabilities: 10.4%
- Number of children aged 5-19 (primary and secondary school-going age) with a disability: 612,749 (52% boys / 48% girls
Share of children enrolled with SNE (2019):[3]
- Primary: 3.3%
- Secondary: 2.4%
Children with disabilities in/out of school:[4]
- In school: 30%
- Out of school: 70%
Number of Special Needs Students in Secondary School by Type:[5]
- Learning difficulty: 5,215
- Visual impairment (blind): 615
- Visual impairment (low vision): 5,920
- Hearing impairment (deaf): 599
- Hearing impairment (hard of hearing): 1,592
- Deafblind (hard of hearing): 33
- Physical disability: 816
- Albinism: 242
Additional information:
- STEP Malawi’s Inclusive Education Study
- The African Union International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (AU/CIEFFA)
- Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Malawi Chapter
Education Financing
Expenditure on education (2024):[1]
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP: 3.9%
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure: 21%
Percentage resource allocation by education level (2024):[2]
- Basic: 57%
- Secondary: 15%
- Higher: 25%
Recurrent Unit Costs per year (2024):[3]
- Primary: USD 33
- Secondary: USD 98
- Higher: 25%
Literacy
Educational Technology
Proportion of schools with access to electricity (2019):
Percentage of 3–24-year-olds with access to internet for pedagogical purposes, by education level:[4]
- Pre-Primary: 13%
- Primary: 10%
- Lower secondary: 27%
- Upper secondary: 43%
- Higher: 54%
Proportion of schools with access to computers for pedagogical purposes (2019):[5]
- Upper secondary: 44.1%
Additional information: