Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology have described the newly launched Policy briefing on Foundational Learning as a critical innovation that could transform early childhood and primary education across the country.
Appreciating the policy at the National Assembly in Lilongwe on Monday, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Mutani Tambala, embraced the document, calling it a timely and strategic intervention for the country’s school system.
Tambala added that the policy could enable many children to learn basic literacy and numeracy at an early stage, so they have no difficulties as they progress in school.
Executive Director of Civil Society Education Coalition, Benedicto Kondowe, emphasised that improving early learning outcomes is not just an academic exercise, but a national development priority.
Kondowe noted that the policy is deeply aligned with the Malawi 2063 development agenda, which focuses on strong education foundations.
He also pledged to work hand-in-hand with the policy to ensure every child in Malawi gets a solid start in education.
Explaining the timing and target audience of the launch, the Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor Beth Gum, said that the policy briefing was specifically designed to put actionable tools directly into the hands of lawmakers.
Gum added that the initiative has been deliberately introduced to Parliament to ensure Malawi systematically cultivates children with a strong educational foundation.
By targeting Members of Parliament (MPs), Gum explained that, the programme aims to turn high-level educational data into active local constituency advocacy and national legislative reforms.
The initiative is jointly organised by the International Parliamentary Network for Education, Action Aid Malawi, and the Civil Society Education Coalition of Malawi.
By Bridget Makawa
