Minister of Education, Bright Msaka, has assured Members of Parliament that the government will provide matching funds to all public schools and money for the smooth running of the schools and proper administration of examinations.
He gave the assurance while delivering a ministerial statement regarding free secondary education in the country.
Msaka also appealed that in the utilisation of K5 billion Constituency Development Funds (CDF), education should be a priority to improve equitable access and quality secondary schools in their constituencies using it.
The Education Minister further observed that an illiterate and unemployed adolescent population is not only bad for national development, but also a recipe for political instability.
He said the Democratic Progressive Party-led government wants to increase equitable access and improve the quality of secondary education to produce a Malawi population with knowledge, skills, expertise and competence fit for the 21st Century.
According to the Minister, the net enrollment in secondary school in 2024 was 17%, meaning that 83% of the secondary school-going age population is not accessing secondary education.
“The transition rate in secondary school was at 49.7% in 2023/24, meaning that a significant number of learners are still denied access to secondary education despite passing the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination,” he said.
Msaka, therefore, said the current administration is committed to implementing free secondary education to advance Malawi’s human capital development and social equity.
He also requested all stakeholders and development partners to actively support this paradigm shift that the country has embarked on, which is aimed at increasing equitable access to quality and relevant secondary education.
President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika announced that Malawi will introduce free primary and secondary education starting in January 2026, eliminating tuition, examination and other fees in public schools.
