Government says primary and secondary schools are in dire need of desks.
According to Education Minister Agnes NyaLonje, Malawi has not made progress on provision of furniture that makes the learning environment conducive to both the learners and teachers.
In an interview, Nyalonje said government is committed to improving equitable access to quality education for all our people including provision of the needed desks.
“The Tonse Alliance is committed to improving equitable access to quality education for all our people. Specific commitments include: enforcing the legislation that makes primary school education compulsory to make sure that no child is left behind.
“Ensuring that all schools have modern classroom blocks and are supplied with all the necessary facilities including teaching and learning materials and qualified teachers,” NyaLonje said.
Statistics indicate that there are currently 457,762 desks in primary schools and 139,527 single-seater desks and 52,235 double-seater desks in secondary schools in the country.
The education minister observed that over the years there has been very little investment in the provision of desks to schools by both Government and Development Partners compared to the growth in enrollment.
She said inability to maintain the existing desks and protect them from theft, has only made the problem worse.
However, between 2016 and 2020 under the Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP), the Ministry implemented a project to provide desks to primary schools and Community Day Secondary Schools.
UNICEF has been supporting the Ministry of Education through various infrastructure development initiatives to help transform the school environment into a child-friendly and conducive learning space.
One such initiative has been the provision of quality school furniture to primary schools under the Kids in Need of Desks (KIND) project which has been running since 2011.
