In 1994, the first democratic government abolished school tuition in primary (elementary and middle) schools in Malawi following the ratification of the 1990 Jomtien Conference agreement in Thailand that encouraged countries to make basic education free. The policy came in good faith but diluted the quality of education due to the insignificant investment by the government. Several decades later, the situation has not substantially changed. The survival rate, which is the ability of a student to stay in school to the last grade, is still low, especially in the upper classes in primary school.

According to the latest publication from the Ministry of Education, survival rate from standard 5 to 8 is at 39%. This means that at least 61% of students do not get to the final grade. Sadly, this has also affected the number of students who make a jump into secondary school. Transition rate for students into secondary school is now at 42%, which is an improvement from the last two years ago, when it stood at 38%. The country’s repetition rate is at 25%, which is worrying to say the least. On average, classroom to student ratio is at 1:98, but in districts such as Thyolo and Zomba, it stands at 1:110 and 1:124 respectively.  The situation continues to be the rationale of our programs, especially for the poor since poverty and education strikes a strong correlation.