‘EU is committed to support Malawi’

For the past few weeks, the European Union (EU) Ambassador MARCHEL GERMANN has been visiting some projects funded by the EU including education programmes aimed to improve access and quality of secondary education. Our reporter HOWARD MLOZI caught up with Gerrmann to find out why EU is paying particular attention to the education sector. Excerpts:

What is the education project that EU is implementing in the country all about?

Secondary education and technical vocational education and training [Tvet] have been adopted as a new focal sector for EU support in Malawi. Currently, two programmes have been signed with the Government of Malawi, namely Improving Secondary Education in Malawi [Isem], and Skills and Technical Education Programme [Step].

Gerrmann: Resources are still available for
successor programmes

Isem is a four-year project [2016-2020] with the overall objective of contributing to the strengthening of Malawi’s education sector and its capacity to satisfy the economy’s need for educated youth through expansion and improvement of equitable access to inclusive quality education. Isem will be implemented in 21 Community Day Secondary Schools that have been selected for infrastructure support. The project has a special focus on girls and will support their access, retention and completion of secondary education.

Through Step, the EU is supporting technical, entrepreneurial and vocational education and training (Tevet) in Malawi. The objective of this programme is to empower the Tevet sector and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system to respond to labour market needs and to satisfy the economy’s need for skilled artisans and technicians. This goal will be achieved by increasing access to formal and informal Tevet and supporting more equitable access especially for girls and vulnerable groups.

How much is the EU spending on the project?

160 million euro has been earmarked for education and Tvet programmes in the National Indicative Programme [2014-2020] as part of the 11th European Development Fund. Isem has a budget of 36 million euro while Step has a budget of 32.6 million euro

What challenges do the projects seek to address?

Isem seeks to address the many challenges in the education sector, and in particular the secondary sub-sector. Some of the main challenges include; low transition rate of 32 percent from primary to secondary schools, high levels of unqualified teachers, majority of which are in CDSSs, high levels of student dropout, mainly girls [either due to financial constraints or pregnancy and/or early marriages], inadequate teaching and learning materials, and poor infrastructure in the schools.

The Step programme, addresses the many challenges currently faced by the Tvet sector in Malawi which includes very low enrolment rates in both formal and informal training and a lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment to ensure quality training. Furthermore, many instructors need upgrading, the curriculum should be reviewed to correspond to the need of the industry and the apprenticeship programme could be improved.

What are some of the previous EU projects in Malawi?

Education is a new focal sector for the EU in Malawi and as such Isem and Step are the first education programmes supported by the EU Delegation.  However, the EU has for the past 40 years been supporting Malawi in a variety of sectors which include transport, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, trade, and water and sanitation. In total, more than 2 billion euro has been granted to Malawi in development assistance since 1976 when the EU Delegation was established.

What are your future plans?

EU will continue to support Malawi in the new focal sector of secondary education and Tvet as well as within the other focal areas [sustainable agriculture and governance]. Resources are still available for successor programmes to be agreed upon with government of Malawi.

 

Related Articles

Back to top button