Secondary Education in Malawi

Secondary education is for 4 years (Form 1 to Form 4). The curriculum is specified by the Ministry of Education. There are two national exams - Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) at the end of Form 2 and Malawi School Certificate Examination (MSCE) at the end of Form 4. JCE was discontinued but has been reintroduced. Examination results for each school are no longer available on the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) website.

Secondary Schools

After Primary Education in Malawi became free in 1994, interest in further education increased. It became possible to gain additional education in Distance Education Centres. In 1999, these evolved into Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs). CDSSs receive minimal government. They  are supposed to manage with low student fees( around £10 per term) and with support from the local community. For a community like the one around Mitsidi CDSS that subsists on water and maize and where many adults have little or no Primary education, financial support of the school is not possible.

Who can go to Secondary School?

In order to qualify for Secondary School education, an adequate standard needs to be achieved in the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination (PSLCE); a mere pass is insufficient. A pass in English is essential to pass the exam. A good standard  in Maths is helpful because Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture and Biology are now separate subjects. . Places in Secondary Schools are allocated according to PSLCE result - better scores result in a place in a government school in a town as opposed to a nearby Community Day Secondary School in a rural area.

Cost of Secondary education

Secondary education is not free - money is needed for school fees, I.D. card, uniform, shoes, exam fees, stationery items and sometimes boarding and travel costs. Even if a child does well enough in PSLCE and is offered a place in Secondary School, they may have to forego the opportunity because of the cost to the household (financial and the loss of a useful pair of hands aged 14+ for chores). Often, sacrifices are made to enable secondary education, family hardships intensify and eventually the student may be unable to complete the course.

Advantages of Secondary Education

Although life in rural villages is primitive, further education in the three Rs, hygiene and agricultural skills equips people better for life. Blantyre, the largest city in Malawi, is nearby with opportunities for further education, training in a skill, trade or profession and work prospects. Even if none of these follow, the next generation will have parents, relatives and friends with considerably more education than at present. Current figure for average number of years at school for adults (over the age of 25) is still only 4.7 years (UN 2024 Report)

Going to a Secondary School in the city

For a child from a rural Primary School just a few miles outside the built up area of Blantyre, the journey from village home into a Secondary School in Blantyre could be 1.5 - 2 hours walk. For a government school further away, boarding is necessary, adding to the overall cost.

Advantages of a Secondary School closer to the home environment

• The fees are lower

• No travelling or boarding expenses

• No culture shock for teenager leaving home (may not been to the city before)

• Able to make some contribution to chores of subsistence living for the household

• With additional support for educational facilities, results could be as good as or better than the national average.

Secondary School Sponsorship

The successful achievement of Secondary School place after working hard through 8 years at Primary school may have to be relinquished because of the cost of Secondary Education involved. As a result many clever and deserving children don’t get the chance to develop talents or make something of their lives. Our e Secondary School Sponsorship programme, has enabled many pupils to continue their education in Secondary Schools.