Changing patterns of access to basic education in Malawi: a story of a mixed bag?

Analysis of factors affecting pupil performance in Malawi’s primary schools based on SACMEQ survey results

“…There was improvement in terms of reduction of the mean age between 2002 (SACMEQ II) and 2007 (SACMEQ III) in most of the districts except in a few cases, such as Mchinji and Machinga which registered increases in pupils' mean age. When pupils' age is plotted against pupils' mean scores, the result confirms what other studies have established before (Chimombo, 2009;Kunje et al, 2009;World Bank, 2010, that pupils' age is negatively correlated to pupils' achievement. Girls are more negatively affected (Figs.…”

“…Studies done in Malawi have mentioned factors such as school location, school facilities, teachers' subject content knowledge, teachers' qualification, teachers' experience, class size, pupils' background, pupils' age, and gender as key variables that influence pupils' performance Chimombo, 2009;Kadzamira, 2001;Kunje et al, 2009;Lee and Zuze, 2011;MIE, 2005;Miksic and Harvey, 2013;Milner et al, 2001;World Bank, 2010). Kunje et al (2009) examined a number of variables considered to influence pupil achievement in Mathematics, English and Chichewa in South West Education Division of Malawi.…”

“…A number of studies including one done by Sankhulani (2007) have identified household related issues as major obstacles affecting girls. The availability of trained teachers has also been stated as an important factor affecting learner performance in studies by Chazema and O'Meara (2011);Chimombo (2009); Kunje et al (2009);Lee et al (2005); and, Lewin and Stuart (2003). Teacher subject content knowledge is considered one of the crucial factors that impact on pupil performace.…”

Reflections of Teachers in the FPE Era

“…Kenya is one of those countries in SSA that has an urgent need to achieve access to school since the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 (UNESCO, 2008). Research evidence shows that in the post-FPE period, concerns were raised about the quality of education in a vast majority of countries (Chimombo, 2009;Deininger, 2003;Oketch & Somerset, 2010;Somerset, 2009). In Kenya, Ngware, Oketch, Mutisya, and Abuya (2010) showed that the mean score on a math test was less than 50%, and some Grade 6 teachers scored as low as 17% in a test that was to appraise their knowledge in math.…”

A Millennium Learning Goal for education post‐2015: a question of outcomes or processes

“…In several countries, politicians, assured of external financial assistance, have made election pledges of free primary education. This has resulted in some countries that started from a low enrolment base, such as Uganda and Malawi in the mid-1990s, racing towards universalisation of access, inevitably impacting negatively on indicators of quality, such as pupilteacher ratio and, ironically given the wording of the education MDG, completion rates (Chimombo 2009;Somerset 2009). National debate on quality, sometimes highly politicised and often with the involvement of international advocacy groups, has ensued (e.g.…”