The current status of education
in Africa's Warm Heart
Malawi is an inland country in East Africa. It is known as the "Warm Heart of Africa" due to its warm climate and friendly residents.
In this beautiful country, there is the vast Lake Malawi, people who speak the Chicheŵa language, and the intangible cultural heritage of the Chewa dance. However, in this country with precious cultural assets, there are hidden problems of imperfect education.
According to UNICEF, in 2022, although 88% of primary school students in Malawi were enrolled, only 33% of them completed primary school.
Only 19% of children aged 7 to 14 have basic reading skills
in either Chichewa or English
The story begins in Mzuzu, the largest city in northern Malawi.
Chiputula Primary School
Chiputula Primary School has about 3,500 students and 53 teachers, with a student-teacher ratio of 1:66. In 2022, it partnered with NTU's College of Public Health through the "Sustainable Health Action" program.
According to qualitative interviews conducted by TIWACT, the high dropout rate of students in this primary school may be due to
1
Family Concept
The local education concept is weak, and many families cannot afford their children's tuition. Education is not the first choice to change their situation.
2
The Language Shift Gap in Education Policy
The fifth grade of primary school is the dividing line between dialect education and English education, which makes it impossible for many children to successfully switch to language learning, resulting in learning gaps and school dropouts.
3
Insufficient resources at the teaching site
The lack of resources such as teachers (education volunteers), venues (classrooms), and public facilities (libraries) has led to a decline in the quality of education.