Liznet Daka emphasizing a point on the project’s beneficiaries
After successful implementation of the Malawi Education Sector Implementation Project [MESIP], the Ministry of Education applied for another grant to further improve the delivery of quality basic education in schools.
The new programme –the Malawi Education Reform Program [MERP] has a grand total amount of US$210.47 million, the World Bank being its grand agent will use an Investment Project Financing [IPF] instrument with Performance-Based Conditions [PBCs].
Introducing the new project to the District executive committee at a meeting held in Dowa, Chief Education Officer for Basic Education in the Ministry of Education headquarters Liznet Daka, said the programme has an objective of improving learning environment for pupils in lower primary in all public schools.
Daka said the project components include timely disbursement of grants to schools, reviewing of the existing guidelines to include emergency recovery plans, increasing minimum grant from K600,000 to K800,000 and change of formular for disbursement , beginning 2022/23 academic year.
She said the project will improve learning environment through construction of cost-effective classrooms saying communities will take a primary leading role in the recruitment, management and supervision of the local artisan who will be constructing the blocks.
The Officer said the project will hire 3,500 auxiliary teachers in about 60 percent of the public primary schools saying 4,125 were hired in 2022/23 Fiscal Year saying the current Rural Allowance Scheme will be revised to ensure that only teachers in the remote schools are rewarded.
She said the project will support girls learning by hiring an NGO which will recruit and train 2,605 girls graduating from local secondary schools to act as learner mentors and to be responsible for providing vital Sexual Reproductive Health [SRH] information and psychosocial support to female learners through clubs and advocacy.
….’’The project will redesign and develop the new revised School Leadership Program targeting head teachers and Deputy head teachers, Primary Education Advisors [PEAs] and female section heads of schools of all public primary schools not trained under MESIP,’’….said Daka.
She said the project will manage finances, manage procurement related activities, developing a digitalized, flexible supervision platform and monitor implementation to make sure that its intended objectives are achieved.
In his remarks, Director of Education, Youth and Sports in the Ministry of Education-Dowa District Council Christopher Kumikundi, expressed confidence that there are a number of departments at the council which are geared to make sure that what is put on the ground under this new program benefit the utmost beneficiaries, who are the learners.
