A research fellow at University of Malawi (UNIMA) Centre for Education Research and training, Esme Kadzamira says high repetition and dropout cases are the main challenge affecting foundation learning.
Kadzamira made the remarks in Lilongwe Wednesday, during a key note address she made to the 2023 Joint Sector Review meeting for education stakeholders with the theme “Transforming Education: Investing in Foundation learning and skills development for a wealthy, self-reliant and resilient nation
She also said low learning outcomes in foundational learning (literacy, numeracy and socio emotional skills) shows that most learners do not have the acquired minimum skills that they were supposed to have, after completing certain levels of education.
“A recent early grade reading and mathematics assessment revealed that if you assess a standard 4 child using materials that are from standard 1 to standard 4, most learners fail to correctly answer materials, which means that a child progresses to standard 4 without acquiring the foundation learning skills.
“My concern is that this is causing problems in the education sector, because it means when such a child reaches secondary school he would have reached that without mastering the minimum skills required for him or her to perform well at secondary level and such students go on to university without mastering the minimum skills that are required for them to perform better,” she said.
Kadzamira noted that there is a low enrolment of learners accessing secondary and tertiary education.
She however said there are several factors that can be solved to improve learning outcomes such as monitoring teacher deployment in schools, teacher and student attendance among other things.
“Most teachers teach a classroom of 200 learners and this is not recommended for children who have just started learning, because such children need special attention from teachers,” she said
Secretary for education Chikondano Mussa said the joint review meeting was organised to enable stakeholders such as development partners, Civil societies organisations and education authorities unearth things that are not working in the education sector.
“The forum seeks to improve learning outcomes and strategies deployed to solve critical areas which can improve education in the country
Government vision is resolute: no one shall be left behind on our educational journey, government has taken a decisive stand to provide education to all, irrespective of their background or circumstances,” she said.
Mussa said government has intensified provision of textbooks in primary schools to help learners read and write.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, European Union delegation social sector Team leader Michele Crimella said there is a strong commitment from stakeholders to develop and improve education sector in the country.
“The partnership that we have in supporting education in Malawi has enabled the sector to bear some fruits in the long run, improving education is a long term process and we are motivated to address some challenges affecting education” he said
During the meeting organizations in the education sector mounted displays showcasing their activities.
The meeting was also attended by parliamentarians, development partners, district education managers, CSO’s, teachers and students, among other people.
Reporting By Sarah Munthali
