2nd grade teacher Ireen Tembo at the blackboard at Mpingu Primary School. Malawi, September 2016.  Credit: GPE/Govati Nyirenda

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$218,646,959

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • Girls' Education Accelerator
  • System capacity
  • System transformation

Partnership compact

Priority: Improve quality foundational teaching and learning for all girls and boys.

Other key documents

Transforming education in Malawi

In Malawi, less than 20% of children ages 7 to 14 have basic literacy skills and even less have basic numeracy skills.

The lack of foundational learning contributes to students being more likely to repeat a grade or drop out of school. The government is working with GPE and other partners to ensure quality foundational teaching and learning for all girls and boys.

Malawi’s Partnership Compact describes plans for affecting transformative change. A focus on improving school readiness commits to improving access to inclusive and quality early childhood education through piloting an initial rollout of pre-primary preparatory classes.

To deliver inclusive foundational learning, Malawi will also focus on early primary grades by training teachers on formative classroom assessment and inclusive pedagogy, revise the curriculum, develop a standardized remediation program, reduce class size through infrastructure, and develop systems for safety and protection of girls and vulnerable children.

Education system capacity strengthening focuses on better teacher management, government coordination and financial management, and data collection and use.

Result story

Safe learning in Malawi during COVID-19

Read how Malawi is implementing COVID-19 preventative measures in schools with the support from GPE.

Key data

11%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

21%

of government expenditure on education

Grants

(data as of December 21, 2024)

 
  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2024 - 2026

    Allocation: US$15,219,990

    Utilization: US$9,750,237

    Grant agent: Imagine

  • Type: Program development

    Years: 2024 - 2025

    Allocation: US$200,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: Imagine

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2023 - 2027

    Allocation: US$250,000

    Utilization: US$147,856

    Grant agent: UNICEF

  • Type: Program implementation and Multiplier

    Years: 2022 - 2026

    Allocation: US$57,200,000

    Utilization: US$40,647,549

    Grant agent: WB

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

  • The Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) for the 2024-2026 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
  • Transnational Networks Advocacy Capacity strengthened for improved ECDE legislation, policies and measures in Southern Africa (TRANAC) led by Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development (ZINECDA) for the 2023-2026 period.
  • The Kuyenda Collective led by Forum for African Women Educationalists Malawi (FAWEMA) for the 2024-2026 period.
  • Girls Education Advocacy in the Region - Phase 2 (GEAR 2.0) led by Girls Activists Youth Organization (GAYO), Malawi for the 2024-2026 period.
  • Pamodzi for Inclusive Education in South-East Africa (PIESEA) led by Rays of Hope for the 2021-2024 period.

Learn more

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