LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-In a landmark move to broaden access to education, Minister of Education Bright Msaka on Thursday, December 4, announced the abolition of all examination, identification, and development fees in Malawi’s public schools.

Addressing Parliament, Msaka said that effective January 1 next year, learners in public primary and secondary schools will no longer pay Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) fees for the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PLSCE), Junior Certificate of Education (JCE), and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).

He further revealed that all development fees in public secondary schools will be scrapped from January 1, 2026, while boarding fees in all Government Secondary Schools, along with fees charged by Government Open Secondary Schools will be abolished from April 1, 2026.

“To ensure the smooth running of schools and the proper administration of examinations, my Ministry, with support from the Ministry of Finance, will provide matching funds to all public schools and MANEB,” Msaka said.

Acknowledging that Community Day Secondary Schools fall under local government, he added that the Ministries of Finance, Economic Planning, Decentralization, and Local Government are in discussion to prioritize education in the allocation of the K5 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Msaka stressed the government’s conviction that education is central to socio-economic development. Citing 2019 World Bank data.

He noted that 51% of Malawians under 18 lack access to secondary education, a challenge the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government is determined to address.

“An illiterate and unemployed adolescent population is not only detrimental to national development but also a recipe for political instability,” he cautioned.

Malawi currently has 1,968 secondary schools, of which 1,485 are public. Of the country’s 538,800 secondary school students, only 7% are in boarding schools. Net secondary school enrollment stood at 17% in 2024, leaving 83% of school-aged children out of secondary education.

The transition rate from primary to secondary school was 49.7% in 2023/24, and dropout rates continue to rise.

Msaka recalled past interventions including infrastructure expansion, the introduction of double-shift schools, construction of girls’ hostels, bursaries for needy learners, and increased teacher recruitment but said the government must take bolder steps.

The newly announced fee abolitions, he said, represent the DPP administration’s renewed commitment to making secondary education more accessible, equitable, and aligned with the skills and competencies demanded in the 21st century.

The Maravi Post