Foreword

This report presents important findings on the right to education by evaluating the current state of investment in the education workforce to ensure disability-inclusive education, and the realistic requirements for putting inclusive education into practice. The study was carried out using a combination of desk review and qualitative engagement, including consultation of peer reviewed literature and government reports, policy briefs and issue papers, and one on one interviews with key informants in Malawi.

In addition to highlighting gaps and challenges in current provision the report also underscores the positive steps already being taken by the government of Malawi to ensure disability-inclusive education in Malawi. It further outlines a range of practical recommendations the government can take to better deliver on its commitments as it progresses towards SDG4. To summarise, the government needs to increase the size of the national budget overall through progressive tax reforms, allowing it to expand its existing revenue base and thus increase the share of the budget available for education. The government also needs to ensure greater sensitivity in education budget allocations and expenditure and enable increased scrutiny by citizens and civil society movements to ensure precious resources arrive on time where they are needed most.

When Malawi joined the global community in making commitments to ensure sustainable development by 2030, this included the promise to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The National Education Sector Investment Plan 20202030 highlights the Government of Malawi’s ambitious education agenda for the next 10 years. The document reinforces and builds on provisions in the National Strategy on Inclusive Education, placing a significant emphasis on inclusion in education, especially for children with disabilities, and this is to be commended.

However, this cannot be achieved without meaningful investment in the education sector including its workforce. The study reminds us that Malawi has one of the greatest teacher shortages in the world and needs an additional 82 461 teachersi just to reach a pupil-teacher ratio of 60:1 by 2030. It is unfortunate then, that the government of Malawi has not allocated resources for teacher recruitment in the draft budget 2020/2021.

This report serves as a reminder that although the education sector is a key government priority as illustrated by budget allocations that consistently meet the upper end of global education financing benchmarks, these remain unequal to the real needs across the country. In addition, goals and targets can only be achieved if resources are disbursed on time, if steps are taken to improve internal efficiencies and the implementation of harsh austerity measures reconsidered.

Thus, while we commend government’s ongoing prioritization of education in Malawi, we appeal to the government to take urgent steps to ensure that amounts allocated to the sector are commensurate with need and, in particular that funds are allocated to the training, recruitment and support of the additional teachers and other education workforce members without whom, targets such as those set out in the National Strategy on Inclusive Education and the National Education Sector Investment Plan cannot be achieved.

I would like to reiterate ActionAid Malawi’s commitment to continue working with the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to ensure the delivery of quality and equitable education for all in Malawi so that the right to education is fulfilled and no child is left behind.

Limodzi Tingathe!

Assan Golowa

Executive Director