MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

PROGRESS ON PROJECTS IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

DELIVERED IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

BY

HON. AGNES NYALONJE

MINISTER OF EDUCATION

5TH APRIL, 2022

Introduction

1. Madam Speaker, allow me to thank you for giving me this opportunity

to present to this August House Progress on Projects in the Ministry
of Education. Before I present my Statement, allow me, Madam
Speaker, to thank His Excellency the State President, Dr Lazarus
McCarthy Chakwera, for entrusting me once again with the nation’s
Education. I do not take this for granted.

2. Madam Speaker, the aim of my Statement is to update the House on

progress made on various projects that the Ministry is implementing
in the Basic and Secondary subsectors. At a later date I will provide a
similar progress report on projects in the tertiary education subsector
and the cross-cutting areas of our work such as science, technology
and innovation; open, distance and e-learning; and inclusive
education.

3. Madam Speaker, for us to achieve our national vision to become “an

inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized middle-income
country by 2063” there is need to invest in education at all levels.
Specifically, through the first ten-year Malawi Implementation Plan
(MIP 1), we are being called upon to ensure that every child goes
through early childhood development (ECD); and make it mandatory
for every citizen to attain at least 12 years of formal education, i.e. to
attend and complete both primary school and secondary school
education.

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4. Madam Speaker, the Tonse Alliance Government, led by His
Excellency the State President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, is
committed to improving equitable access to quality education for all
our people and delivering on the objectives of the Malawi 2063. To
this end Government has prioritized three things: (1) increasing access
through expansion of school infrastructure and digitalization of
education; (2) provision of teaching and learning materials; and (3)
ensuring adequate qualified and motivated teachers. These are crucial
for improved equitable access, quality, relevance and efficiency of
education.

5. Madam Speaker, the projects reported on in this Statement are

consistent with these MW2063 priorities. My statement covers six
infrastructure projects in Basic Education, namely:
1. Construction of three Teacher Training Colleges
2. Construction of Primary Schools in Urban and Rural Areas
3. Improving Primary School Education (Annex 1)
4. Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP)
5. Desks in Schools (Refer to Official Ministry Website:
www.education.gov.mw)
6. School Feeding Program (Annex 2 – Districts; For names of
beneficiary schools, refer to Official Ministry Website:
www.education.gov.mw)

Madam Speaker, my Statement also covers six projects in Secondary

Education, namely:

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 1. Secondary Education Expansion for Development
(SEED)(Annex 3, Annex 4)
2. Equity with Quality Learning at Secondary Schools (EQUALS)
(Annex 5, Annex 6)
3. Construction of 100 Girls’ Hostels in Community Day Secondary
Schools
4. Construction of Laboratory/Library Blocks in Community Day
Secondary Schools
5. Rehabilitation of Conventional Secondary Schools
6. Improving Secondary Education in Malawi (ISEM II)

Basic Education

6. Madam Speaker, Malawi’s primary education system has achieved

progress in increasing access to school with a net enrollment rate at
90% but faces continued pressure to provide quality learning in the
face of a growing intake of students. Currently there are over 5.4
million learners in our primary schools. There is a high repetition rate
at 22% and a dropout rate at 4%, particularly in lower grades. This
represents a significant source of inefficiency. In addition, completion
rates have for a long time stagnated at 51%. This means that for every
100 children that start Standard 1, 49 do not go all the way and
complete Standard 8.

7. Madam Speaker, a high fertility rate is resulting in rapid growth in

primary school enrollment. This exerts pressure on availability of
adequate classrooms and other school infrastructure, pressure on
teaching and learning materials, and pressure on teachers, which
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 ultimately impacts on learning outcomes. The pupil permanent
classroom ratio is at 115, while the pupil qualified teacher ratio is at 68.
At primary school, especially in the early grades we achieve gender
parity with equal participation of boys and girls. However, the
situation changes from upper primary onwards, with fewer girls
attending.

8. Madam Speaker, let me now turn to the specific projects under the
Basic Education sub-sector.

Primary Project 1: Construction of Three Teacher Training Colleges ,

January 2018 – January 2020

9. Madam Speaker, my Ministry is constructing three Teacher Training

Colleges (3 TTCs) in Rumphi, Mchinji and Chikwawa districts. The
project objective is to improve equitable access to primary education
and participation of learners with special needs. The project is jointly
financed by the Malawi Government, the Arab Bank for Economic
Development in Africa (BADEA), the Saudi Fund for Development, and
the OPEC Fund for International Development. The total project cost
is US$42 million.

10. Construction started in January, 2018 and it is expected to finish by

September this year.

11. Madam Speaker, the bed capacity for each Teacher Training College
(TTC) is 600 student teachers (300 males and 300 females). The
overall progress in terms of percentage of work done across all the 3
TTCS is at 90%.
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Primary Project 2: Construction of Primary Schools in Urban and Rural
Areas; July 2018 – March 2023

12. Madam Speaker, the project for Construction of Primary Schools in

Urban and Rural areas and Provision of Equipment is an on-going one
financed by the Malawi Government. The project objective was to
decongest primary schools in urban and rural areas so that learners
are provided with quality primary education.

13. Madam Speaker, under phase one of this project, my Ministry is

constructing 14 new urban primary schools namely: Bwemba, Mg’ona,
Kaliyeka, Ching’ombe and Chidzingwe in Lilongwe; Chapima Heights,
BCA Hill, Namalowe, Chilobwe and Mbayani in Blantyre; Chiludede
and Mzilawayingwe in Mzuzu; and Mtiya and Chinamwali in Zomba.

14. Madam Speaker, construction works started in July, 2018 and the
total estimated project cost is MK10 Billion. The overall progress is at
42%. with the schools being at different levels of completion:
Bwemba, Mgona and Mbayani are at 70% to 100%; Ching’ombe,
Chayamba, Chidzingwe and Mtiya at 60% to 70%; and Chiludede,
Mzilawayingwe, Chayamba, BCA Hill, Namalowe, Mzedi and
Chinamwali schools are below 50% completion.

15. At Chapima Heights there is an unresolved land issue between Press

Properties Limited and Blantyre City Council, hence the construction
has not commenced. My Ministry has engaged the Ministry of Lands
to procure land for this school.

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 16. Madam Speaker, progress of this project has been affected by a
history of delayed payments to contractors, with accumulated arrears
of over MK598 Million. This has resulted in some contractors
abandoning sites. My Ministry is working to ensure resumption and
completion of work.

Primary Project 3: Improving Primary School Education, 2017 -2022

17. Madam Speaker, my Ministry with support from KfW is implementing

an Improving Primary School Education Project. The aim of the project
is to enhance the quality of primary education by improving the
learning environment in 3 selected Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs),
namely Lilongwe, Blantyre and St. Joseph’s Teacher Training Colleges.
It is also aimed at improving the learning environment in 60 selected
primary Teaching Practice Schools (TPSs). The project total estimated
cost is Euros 25 Million.

18. Madam Speaker, the project components comprise: (a)

Rehabilitation of water supply, sewage system and the sanitary
facilities at Lilongwe, Blantyre and St. Joseph Teacher Training
Colleges; and (b) Expansion of infrastructure in 60 Selected Primary
Teaching Practice Schools including construction of 308 classrooms,
120 teachers’ houses, 60) student teachers hostels, 60 administration
blocks, latrines, as well as the provision of furniture to the Teaching
Practice Schools.

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 19. Madam Speaker, progress on the various components of the project
is as follows: Works on the Rehabilitation of Water Supply and
Sanitation Services at Lilongwe and St. Joseph’s TTCs have been
completed while Blantyre TTC is at 85% completion. Progress on the
construction of additional of classrooms, administration blocks,
Students Hostels, Teachers Houses and pit latrines, boreholes and
ancillary works at each of the sixty (60) Primary Teaching Practice
schools is as follows:

• 4 Schools have been completed and handed over;

• 27 Schools have been completed and await rectification of
defects and handover;

• 9 Schools await final inspection, rectification of defects and

handover; and

• 20 Schools progress is over 90%.

20.Contracts for the supply of Furniture for 308 classrooms, 60

administration blocks and 60 student teachers’ hostels have been
awarded.

Primary Project 4: Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP) 2021 –

December 2025

21. Madam Speaker, as you may recall on Thursday 25th November 2021,
this August House passed Bill No. 24 of 2021: International
Development Association (Malawi Education Reform Program
Project) Loan (Authorization). Let me take this opportunity to thank

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 you, Madam Speaker, and the August House for passing this
important Bill.

22. Madam Speaker, the 4-year Malawi Education Reform Program will
be implemented with US$150 million support from the World Bank
and the Global Partnership for Education.

23. The main objective of the Malawi Education Reform Program (MERP)
is to improve learning environments for students in lower primary in
Government schools. Specific program interventions are aimed at
reducing: Pupil- permanent classroom ratios (PCRs) in lower primary;
lowering pupil-qualified teacher ratios in Standards 1-2; and lowering
student dropout rate in lower primary, for both female and male
learners.

24. Madam Speaker, Component One of MERP which is “Expanding and

Reforming Primary School Improvement Grants” will support the
expansion and reform of Primary School Improvement Grants (PSIG),
to provide additional and more needs-based support to schools, with
timely and predictable delivery of finance.

25. Madam Speaker, Component 2. “Improved Learning Environments

in Lower Primary to Support Learning Recovery After COVID-19” will
provide finance to targeted schools with exceptional need, to support
construction of 10,900 low-cost classrooms and 1,000 latrines; and the
hiring of 3,500 auxiliary teachers. Component two will also support
the introduction of Hardship Support for teachers posted in remote
schools.

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 26. Madam Speaker, Component 3. “Supporting Girls’ Learning” will
support a range of activities to raise the learning achievement of girls,
including supporting female learners and improving the numbers of
female teachers in schools in remote areas.

27. Madam Speaker, Component 4. “School Leadership Program” will

support the national delivery of an updated School Leadership
Program (SLP) supporting head teachers, deputy head teachers,
Primary Education Advisors (PEAs), inspectors, and selected female
section heads.

28. Madam Speaker, the fifth and final Component: “Project

Coordination” will be responsible for all project coordination,
procurements and Capacity Building.

29. Currently, my Ministry is setting up the Project Implementation Unit

(PIU) to facilitate the implementation of the project.

Primary Project 5: Progress on Desks in Schools

30. Madam Speaker, desks are an integral part of a conducive teaching
and learning environment. They help learners with good posture and
make them comfortable thereby facilitating concentration of learners
on their work.

31. Madam Speaker, the desire of my Ministry is to provide adequate

desks especially in lower classes to help little children acquire reading,
writing, computing and drawing skills. Denying them desks affects the
acquisition and development of these foundation skills in learners.
Sadly, in the system we have an acute shortage of desks.
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32. Madam Speaker, the House may wish to be informed that currently,
the Ministry has 457,762 desks in primary schools and 191,762 desks in
secondary schools. This leaves a deficit of 4.4 million desks which
would cost an estimated MK176 Billion at a unit cost of MK40,000 per
desk.

Strategies for Increasing Number of Desks in Schools

33. Madam Speaker, My Ministry is advocating for the environmentally

sustainable production of desks which does not deplete trees without
putting in place strategies for replenishing our forests.

34. Madam Speaker, having noted the huge deficit in desks provision, my
Ministry is working on a number of cost effective models in a bid to
close the desk gap. As this work progresses, my Ministry will be
updating this August House. We are currently encouraging all schools
to use local artisans to fix broken desks and chairs using School
Improvement Grants.

35. My Ministry will continue to lobby for resources to increase the supply
of desks to schools.

36. Madam Speaker, at this juncture, allow me to thank partners that are
responding to our call for the provision of additional desks. Let me
also commend those Honourable Members of this August House
(such as Likoma Islands and Nkhotakota North) who are actively
supporting the repair of broken desks in our schools.

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Primary Project 6: School Feeding Program

37. Madam Speaker, let me now talk about the School Feeding Program
in primary schools. My Ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of
Health, development partners and NGOs, introduced a School
Feeding Program in 1999 to address poor health and malnutrition
amongst learners. The program is currently being implemented in 45%
of Government primary schools in the country.

38. Madam Speaker, the introduction of the School Feeding Program has
resulted in improved class attendance, reduced school dropout rates
and increased enrolment in schools where the program is being
implemented.

39. Madam Speaker, my Ministry is currently implementing two models

of school Meals. The first one is a Centralised Model whereby the
provider buys Likuni Phala and distributes to schools for
consumption. The second model is called the Home-Grown or
Community production model whereby communities provide land
and labour and schools provide inputs for the production of
commodities for the school meals.

40. Madam Speaker, notable challenges for school meals program

include:

• Scaling down by some partners who have been supporting the

intervention;

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 • Rising costs of food commodities weighing down on school
meals budgets;

• The community production model is often affected by

droughts, floods, pests and crop diseases, as well as post-
harvest losses which reduce the available food.
• Insufficient resources to extend the program to all Government
primary schools

41. Madam Speaker, despite these challenges, my Ministry will continue

to mobilize resources for universal school feeding as there is plenty of
evidence showing the relationship between school feeding and
attainment of positive educational outcomes. In addition, we will also
deepen collaboration with various stakeholders, and especially with
all relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to
achieve universal school feeding.

Secondary Education

42. Madam Speaker, allow me to now turn to the secondary sub-sector.

The major constraint in secondary education is low access. While the
total enrollment at primary is 5.4 million learners, at secondary the
total enrollment is 415,000. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER), is at 15%
which means that 85% of secondary school going age (14–17 year olds)
are not accessing secondary education. In addition, the transition rate
from primary to secondary is at 38% meaning that 62% of candidates
of Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE)
examinations do not proceed to secondary education. Inadequate
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 infrastructure remains the biggest hindrance to access in this sub-
sector.

43. Madam Speaker, the quality of secondary education is constrained by

a number of factors that include: inadequate teachers, underqualified
teachers, inadequate teaching and learning materials and lack of
specialized rooms such as laboratories, workshops and libraries,
particularly in Community Day Secondary Schools.

44. Madam Speaker, it is important to note that there is unequal

participation in secondary education between boys and girls with
fewer girls completing secondary education.

45. Madam Speaker, to respond to these challenges, my Ministry is

implementing a number of projects with a special focus on schools in
the rural areas as follows:

Secondary Project 1: Secondary Education Expansion for Development

(SEED); 2018 - 2023

46. Madam Speaker, this is a USD90 Million project supported by the

Government of the United States of America, designed to expand or
build 250 secondary schools across the country. The overall project
objective is to increase access to secondary education through
expanding schools in urban areas and establishing new schools in
rural areas to bring secondary schools closer to learners.

47. Additionally, it also aims at increasing the retention rate, preventing

early pregnancy and early marriage, reducing new HIV infections and

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 improving transition rates from primary to secondary and tertiary
education.

48. Madam Speaker, the implementation of the SEED Project is following

a phased approach. The Pilot Phase constructed 6 schools in Balaka, 5
schools in Machinga and one school each in Dedza, Nsanje, Mulanje,
Thyolo and Chiradzulu. Phase One involved the expansion of 30 Urban
CDSSs in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba cities. The package
included two prefabricated classroom blocks, two ablution blocks and
supply of furniture for each school.

49. Madam Speaker, there are four groups under Phase Two which
involves the construction of new schools in rural areas across the
country, creating access to secondary education where the most
vulnerable girls in the country live. These schools will be built in
communities where a high prevalence of new HIV infections exists;
where distances to existing secondary schools present a barrier to
access; and where high pass rates from primary schools create pools
of student that are qualified, but not selected to secondary school.
The sites are further identified based on clear land tenure,
construction suitability based on feasibility analysis, and community
engagement.

50. Madam Speaker, under Phase One of the Project 96 classrooms and
60 separate latrines for girls and boys were added in 30 existing urban
secondary schools in the four cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and
Zomba. Of the 30 schools selected, 13 are in Lilongwe; 9 in Blantyre; 4
in Mzuzu; and 4 in Zomba. This has helped to decongest existing
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 schools and to accommodate the ever-rising urban population of
learners.

SEED Rural Group 1: 40 Sites

51. Madam Speaker, allow me to inform the House that initially there were
40 sites under this SEED Rural Group 1. However, out of the 40, 38
sites qualified and procurement processes were completed. As I
speak Madam Speaker, construction has commenced in Lilongwe
rural and Blantyre rural. Construction in the rest of the districts in
Northern, Central and Southern Regions will start in April, 2022.
Madam Speaker, two sites, one at Chibweya in Ntchisi and another at
Khola in Blantyre failed because of unresolved land issues. As a result,
these two sites have been moved to SEED Rural Group 2.

SEED Rural Group 2: 54 Sites

52. Madam Speaker, Group 2 had 54 sites including the 2 which were
moved from Group 1. Three sites, that is one at Khungulu which
replaced Khola in Blantyre, Chikowa in Chiradzulu and another at
Chankhozi in Kasungu still have some outstanding land-related issues.
Consequently, they have been moved to SEED Rural Group 3. Madam
Speaker, I am pleased to inform the August House that procurement
processes for SEED Rural Group 2 has commenced.

53. Madam Speaker, while my Ministry is making progress on the SEED

Project, there are some recurrent challenges including the following:

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 i. Unresolved land conflicts: some Chiefs are volunteering land
to Government without consent from land owners and this
has resulted in land disputes;

ii. Landowners demanding compensation: according to the

MoU signed between the Malawi and US Governments, land
for the SEED Project school construction is to be volunteered
by respective communities;

iii. Difficulties in obtaining land offer documentation where the

identified sites sit on Church Land; and
iv. Stakeholders wishing to take the development to their areas
of influence regardless of the set criteria.

54. Madam Speaker, the August House may wish to note that the
construction works are behind the proposed schedule for
completion. The three stages of the project that take long to
complete are land identification, land assessment and procurement
processes.

Secondary Project 2: Equity with Quality Learning at Secondary (EQUALS);

July 2019 – June 2025

55. Madam Speaker, my Ministry, with support from the World Bank, is
implementing the Equity with Quality Learning at Secondary Schools
(EQUALS) Project. The project aims at improving the quality of
mathematics and science instruction in CDSSs and increasing access
to secondary education in selected remote areas. The total project
cost is US$95 Million. The project is being implemented in 13 Education

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 districts, namely: Chitipa, Karonga, Kasungu, Salima, Mchinji,
Lilongwe Rural East, Balaka, Zomba Rural, Chikwawa, Mwanza, Neno,
Phalombe and Mulanje.

56. Madam Speaker, the following progress has been registered under the
EQUALS project:

• All the 4,507 secondary mathematics and science teachers from

all the Education Divisions were re-oriented on the current
curriculum;

• My Ministry has developed a blended face-to-face and ODeL

model of learning which has been used to train 1,400 out of the
1,846 secondary school head teachers and deputy head teachers
who will, consequently, acquire a University Certificate in School
Management and Institutional Leadership.

• My Ministry has procured and distributed 1,292,976 mathematics

and science textbooks in Government secondary schools. This has
for the first time brought the pupil textbook ratio in mathematics
and sciences at 1 to 1 in all Government secondary schools in the
country.

• The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) developed e-

registration and e-payment systems to help improve candidate
registration and payment of examination fees. The platforms
were successfully piloted in Zomba district and are currently being
rolled-out to the first half of the districts (19 districts) in the
country. The exercise is expected to be completed by 2023;

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 • My Ministry has developed 980 Open, Distance and e-Learning
materials for senior secondary school students;

• In order to decongest classrooms in response to COVID-19, my

Ministry will construct 250 cost-effective classrooms from April
2022 in selected secondary schools; and

• My Ministry will upgrade and expand 103 selected Community Day

Secondary Schools. Sites have been identified. However, progress
has been delayed as procurement processes had to be re-
launched due to bid overpricing. I am pleased to inform the
August House that the procurement processes are back on course
and construction is expected to start by May, 2022.

57. Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to appeal to the

construction industry to avoid over pricing their bids.

Secondary Project 3: Construction of 100 Girls’ Hostels in Community Day

Secondary Schools; dates back to July 2008.

58. Madam Speaker, construction of 100 Girls’ Hostels in selected

Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) is an ongoing program
financed by Government. The program objective is to increase
equitable access to secondary education with particular focus on girls
and vulnerable groups, including those in rural areas that travel long
distances.

59. Madam Speaker, under Phase I and Phase II, construction started at
18 sites of which 13 hostels were completed and handed over. The
remaining 5 hostels (Nyamazere in Nsanje, Michesi in Phalombe, Nyungwe

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in Karonga, Nkhunga in Nkhotakota and Mount View in Thyolo) have
experienced major delays which have led to significant cost escalation and
arrears causing contractors to abandon the sites.

60. Madam Speaker, as a way forward, my Ministry has requested the

National Audit Office for verification and certification of works done
on site. Thereafter, the contracts will be assessed and a decision will
be made on how to complete the remaining Phase I and Phase II works.

61. Madam Speaker, Phase III construction of 12 Girls’ Hostels at the

following CDSSs: Mphompha in Rumphi, Ekwendeni in Mzimba,
Kang’oma in Lilongwe, Mwansambo in Nkhotakota, Maganga in
Salima, Linthipe in Dedza, Phalula in Balaka, Ligowe in Neno, Ngumbe
in Blantyre, Malimba in Chiradzulu, Chikangulu in Chiradzulu and
Thekerani in Thyolo started in July, 2018 and was expected to finish in
June, 2019 with a total project cost of MK12.5 billion.

62. Madam Speaker, overall progress on the 12 Phase III hostels is at 42%.
MK3.7 billion is required to complete the outstanding works and a
budget estimate of MK1 billion has been allocated in the 2022/23
Financial Year.

63. Madam Speaker, my Ministry is doing everything possible to ensure

completion of the unfinished hostels. Following assessment of the
different incomplete hostels we will: (i) Devise a plan to complete all
incomplete hostels; (ii) Review the national mapping of hostels in view
of the recently constructed secondary schools and the secondary
schools planned to be constructed across the country; (iii) Develop an
alternative cost-effective plan for constructing girls’ hostels and lobby

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 for its inclusion in the PSIP; and (iv) Embark on an intensive resource
mobilization campaign for the hostels project.

Secondary Project 4: Construction of Science Laboratory/Library Blocks in

Community Day Secondary Schools; July 2016 – March 2023

64. Madam Speaker, my Ministry is constructing 29 Laboratory and

Library blocks in selected Community Day Secondary schools namely:
Namatubi in Chitipa, Iponga in Karonga, Mlowe in Rumphi, Luzi and
Ng’ombechinda in Mzimba, Chitheka in Nkhatabay, Chamakala in
Kasungu, Natola in Dowa, Mpherere in Ntchisi, Sopa in Mchinji, Linga
in Nkhotakota, MAFCO in Salima, Chimwa in Lilongwe, Mtakataka in
Dedza, Kalaka in Ntcheu, Rivirivi in Balaka, Mpiranjala in Machinga,
Kapire in Mangochi, Ulumba in Zomba, Ntenjera in Blantyre,
Mtambanyama in Thyolo, Misanjo in Mulanje Livunzu in Chikwawa,
Mphande in Mwanza, Lisungwi in Neno, Chinolampeni in Phalombe
and Kalambo in Nsanje. The project objective is to improve the learning
of sciences in community day secondary schools. The construction
works commenced in 2016 and the original completion date was June,
2017. The total project cost is MK5 Billion.
65. Madam Speaker, overall progress across all the 29 Laboratory and
Library blocks 55%. Progress has been slow due to inadequate and
erratic funding such that contractors have abandoned sites and have
requested contract price adjustment due to negative material cost
fluctuations over the long implementation period. My Ministry has
engaged contractors to understand the issues. If the MK1 billion that
has been allocated in the 2022/23 National Budget is fully funded, my

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 Ministry will manage to complete 19 of the 29 Laboratory and Library
blocks by March 2023.

Secondary Project 5: Rehabilitation of Conventional Secondary Schools;

2013 - ongoing

66. Madam Speaker, rehabilitation of Conventional Secondary Schools is

an on-going program financed by the Malawi Government. The
objective of the program is to improve the learning environment given
the fact that most of the Boarding secondary schools were built a long
time ago and are now dilapidated.

67. Madam Speaker, in 2017, out of the 35 secondary schools that needed
rehabilitation 12 (2 per Education Division) were earmarked for
comprehensive rehabilitation under the Public Sector Investment
Program. The scope of works included, rehabilitation of all structures
comprising the teaching area, hostels, staff houses and external
works. However, out of the 12 sites, only one contract was awarded for
Chikwawa Secondary School due to inadequate funding.
68. Madam Speaker, progress at Chikwawa Secondary School is currently
at 55%. My Ministry is closely monitoring the contractor to ensure the
remaining works are completed as soon as possible.

69. Madam Speaker, the House may wish to note that in the just passed
2022/23 National Budget, Government has allocated just over MK1
Billion for the rehabilitation of Dzenza Secondary School which was
gutted by fires in October and December 2018. Resources allowing, my
Ministry will continue to secondary schools guided by two factors: (i)

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 the chronological order – first to be built, first to be rehabilitated;
unless (ii) a school is hit by a disaster or an emergency.

Secondary Project 6. Improving Secondary Education in Malawi (ISEM II);

October 2021 – October 2025

70. Madam Speaker, my Ministry, with support from the European Union,
started implementing the second phase of Improving Secondary
Education in Malawi (ISEM II) Project in October 2021. The main
objective of the project is to provide young people with more
equitable opportunity for completing good quality secondary
education. The Specific Objectives are to: (a) Promote equitable
enrolment to secondary education; (b) Improve the quality of
secondary education; and (c) Improve governance and management
of secondary education institutions at central and decentralized levels.
The total estimated cost for the project is EUR 50 Million and the
implementation period is 5 years.

71. Madam Speaker, the project will be implemented in 12 Education

districts, namely: Blantyre Rural; Nsanje; Mulanje; Chiradzulu; Zomba
Rural; Mangochi; Lilongwe Rural East; Dedza; Salima; Ntchisi; Mzimba
North and Rumphi. Project activities include the following:
• Upgrading of 40 selected CDSSs based on the recommended
minimum essential school infrastructure package;

• Construction of 24 Cluster Centre Resource Rooms across the 12

target districts;

• Construction of boarding facilities for female students in 6

district boarding schools;
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 • Inclusion of a technical vocational facility in each supported
secondary school; and

• Improving access and support for vulnerable students including

females, aimed at reducing the dropout rate of girls and other
vulnerable groups.

Conclusion

72. Madam Speaker, you will note that this country has a long history of
delayed construction. A large part of these unfinished construction
projects resulted from political motivations outweighing resource
availability and prioritization considerations. This is part of the broken
systems that our President, His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy
Chakwera, alluded to in his 3rd February State of the Nation Address.

73. I wish to reassure the House that the current Government is working
hard to address these systemic issues that have arisen historically and
which have resulted in projects taking decades to complete.

74. Madam Speaker and the August House, let me take this opportunity
to sincerely thank all the development partners for the support they
render to Government and especially to the Education Sector.

75. Once again, I wish to express my profound gratitude to you, Madam

Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to share with the nation,
through the August House, progress on various projects that my
Ministry is implementing.

I thank you all for your kind attention.

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