Striving for Change: The Urgent Call for Educational Reform in Malawi's 2024/25 National Budget

The announcement was made that the 2024/25 Malawi National budget includes an allocation of over MK200 Billion for education. Numerous concerns need to be addressed, and it's understood that the committee set to convene from today onwards will diligently examine the distribution of these funds within the education sector. They aim to provide constructive criticism and identify areas that have been overlooked in previous years.

It is disheartening to see a disconnect between the importance of education and the level of support it receives from our government. While other sectors see investment and growth, education, one of the most critical pillars of our nation's development, seems to lag behind. The issue of understaffing in schools juxtaposed with the number of trained, yet unemployed, primary school teachers is a glaring contradiction that needs immediate attention.

The current state of affairs, where qualified educators are left waiting for opportunities while schools cry out for staff, is untenable. It's a waste of talent and potential that undermines the very fabric of our society. The delay in deploying these trained professionals not only affects their livelihoods but also deprives our children of the quality education they deserve.

Moreover, the rapid pace of advancements in science, technology, and innovation demands that our educators are actively engaged in their profession. The risk of their skills and methodologies becoming outdated due to prolonged unemployment is a disservice to them and to the generations they are meant to teach.

It's imperative that the government reevaluates its approach to managing the educational sector. A more balanced strategy that ensures all areas receive the attention and investment they need is crucial. The deployment of graduate primary school teachers to schools in need is a step that cannot be delayed any further. 

In 2022, I had the privilege of being assigned by a prestigious private institution to contribute to the training of a new cadre of Primary School Teachers in our country. During my tenure, I observed the completion of three Initial Primary Teacher Education cohorts— 16, 17, and 18 —none of whom have yet been deployed. This situation is deeply troubling; education is a critical driver of development, and neglecting it risks undermining our nation's socio-economic progress. A contributing factor to the reluctance of many to pursue teaching careers is the extended periods they spend unemployed. Despite Malawi's commendable effort in training thousands of teachers to move towards the ideal 1:60 teacher-student ratio—a goal we are yet to achieve but are progressively working towards—I earnestly hope that the 2024/25 Malawi National Budget has made provisions for the deployment of these Primary School Teachers who have been waiting to contribute for far too long.

Written By Oliver Kasito Jnr