Knowledge for Development Policy Brief: Malawi May 2016 Education Global Practice Keeping Girls in School: Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice Situation Analysis for Malawi Christin McConnell and Mupuwaliywa Mupuwaliywa This policy brief analyzes current trends in in school and receive a quality education. the education of adolescent girls in Malawi, Malawi has one of the fastest-growing popula- describing trends in the education sector and tions in the world, with a projected 8.8 million in education coverage for adolescent girls and adolescents by 2050. Providing critical educa- suggesting opportunities for further policy tion and basic skills to this growing adolescent development in this area. population will require well-planned investment in the education sector to reach those who are Why Keep Girls in School? most vulnerable to dropping out of school. International evidence indicates that keep- ing girls in school positively affects their Education Sector Trends life trajectory and benefits the well-being With the introduction of Free Primary of the next generation. When girls are ex- Education in 1994, Malawi’s primary school posed to quality education, they build numer- enrollment has increased from 1.8 million acy, literacy, cognitive, and social skills, leaving students in 1994 to 3.2 million in 2004 to them better prepared to participate in the ­ approaching 4.7 million students in 2014. labor market and gain an income. Girls’ atten- Overall school enrollment has been rising for dance in school during adolescence is also both boys and girls, with gender parity achieved ­ correlated with delayed sexual initiation, later in lower grades of primary school and a gender marriage and childbearing, lower rates of parity index of 97.6 percent in upper primary. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and ac- Girls and boys continue to share relatively equal quired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), levels of participation until Standard 8, when lower risk of domestic violence, and fewer females constitute only 46 percent of overall hours of domestic work (World Bank 2014). As enrollment (EMIS 2015). adolescent girls transition from childhood to For students attending primary school, motherhood, educated women are more likely challenges exist in obtaining a quality edu- to invest in the education and health of their cation. Malawian pupils are among the lowest children. Educated mothers are more likely to performers in the region, according to the value schooling, to be aware of the returns to 2007 Southern Africa Consortium for schooling, and ultimately to ensure that their Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ), children receive an education. Their children which tests students in grade 6 in 14 have higher immunization rates and better nu- Southern and Eastern African countries. In trition, increasing enrollment and improving 2007, Malawi performed last in reading and school performance for the next generation only better than one country, Zambia, in (World Bank 2014). mathematics. Looking specifically at gender, The quickly growing adolescent population boys slightly outperformed girls overall in in Malawi will require close attention and both reading and math skills. In a 2008 higher investments to ensure that girls stay national assessment of Standard 2 and ­ 1 Figure 1. Average Primary School Repetition and Dropout Rates, 2010-2015 a. Average Repetition Rates, b. Average Dropout Rates, 2010–15 2010–15 Average repetition rates Average dropout rates 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0 0 4 4 3 8 3 6 2 6 1 2 5 1 5 7 7 rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a St St St St St St St St St St St St St St St Male Female Male Female Source: Author’s calculations based on EMIS data. Figure 2. PSLE performance and Form 1 Enrollment by Gender Sat 139,935 for PSLE 119,319 Passed 96,228 PSLE 65,046 New entrants 48,960 to Form 1 44,752 Source: EMIS 2015. Note: 1 figure = 10,000 people. Standard 5, results across gender were simi- High rates of repetition and dropout lar except that Standard 2 boys outper- also plague Malawian primary schools. formed girls in English (MIE).1 In 2009 results, Over the past five years, repetition rates av- boys outperformed girls in both Standard 3 eraged between 15 and 25 percent, with simi- and Standard 7 mathematics (MIE).2 lar rates for males and females (figure 1a). Dropout rates remain similar by gender until 1   While the means for Chichewa, English, and Mathematics upper primary (figure 1b). By Standard 7, the were all higher for boys, the difference between genders was only statistically significant for English. In English, boys had a mean score of 11.3 percent (SD 13.7) and girls was only statistically significant for Mathematics. In had a mean of 7.6 percent (SD 11.8). Mathematics, Standard 3 boys had a mean of 26.7 per- 2   While means for Standard 3 girls were higher in English, cent (SD 14.9) and girls had a mean of 22.8 (SD 14.0). Chichewa, and Lifeskills and means for Standard 7 girls Standard 7 boys had a mean of 16.0 percent (SD 11.5) were higher in Chichewa, the difference between genders and girls had a mean of 13.6 percent (SD 10.1). 2 Figure 3. Enrollment status of secondary school aged children by economic status, 2014 120 % of enrollment of secondary- 100 school-age children 80 60 40 20 0 Poorest 2nd 3rd 4th Richest Poorest 2nd 3rd 4th Richest Male Female Out of school Attending primary school Net attendance ratio Source: MICS 2014. dropout rate for Standard 7 females was, on Figure 4. School enrollment rate by age group and average, 19.5 percent over the past five years, region, 2011 in comparison to 11.2 percent for males. 100 Transitioning from primary to second- 90 ary school is difficult in Malawi, with spots % school enrollment available for just over half of students 80 who pass the Primary School Leaving 70 Exam (PSLE). PSLE pass rates vary greatly 60 by region with the lowest overall rates in the 50 Northern division (45 percent for girls and 57 percent for boys). The Shire Highlands divi- 40 sion, with the highest overall pass rates, also 30 has the largest gender discrepancy with 18 20 percent more males passing than females. 19 13 17 Once admitted to secondary school, fees to to to 18 11 14 can be unbearable for poor families, as sec- Enrollment ondary school fees can range from MK Northern male Northern female 18,000 for community day schools to MK Central male Central female 90,000 for national boarding schools. Not Southern male Southern female surprisingly, the net enrollment rate for sec- ondary school students is below 5 percent for Source: 2011 Welfare Monitoring Survey. the lowest economic quintile (2014 MICS). Secondary-school-age adolescents follow sim- ilar enrollment patterns by economic status, behind their age-appropriate grade levels regardless of gender, with very few poor ado- and making it harder for girls in particular lescents enrolled in secondary school, the ma- to stay in school. As seen in figure 4, nearly jority still in primary grades, and many out of all 11–13 year olds are enrolled in school, re- school in contrast with students from richer gardless of gender. Regardless of geography, quintiles (figure 3). In comparison with males female enrollment uniformly starts to drop of their same economic status, more adoles- for 14–17 year olds and less than one-third of cent girls are out of school (2014 MICS).3 18–19 year old girls are still in school (2011 As a result of late entry and high repe- Welfare Monitoring Survey). According to tition, older adolescents continue to fall EMIS data, 70 percent of enrolled 15 year olds of both genders are still in primary school, 3   Of secondary-school-age adolescents: Girls: 35.7 and one-quarter are in Grade 6 or below.4 percent in the poorest quintile; 25.9 percent in the 2nd While adolescent males and females follow poorest; 25.2 percent in the 3rd poorest; 17.5 percent in similar grade-level patterns, the proportion of 4th poorest; 13.9 percent in richest quintile. Boys: 27.1 percent in poorest quintile; 19 percent in 2nd poorest; 18 percent in 3rd poorest; 12.3 percent in 4th poorest; 7.8 4   Nearly 60 percent of 13 year olds are in Standard 6 or percent in richest quintile. below, at least 2 years behind schedule. 3 Figure 5. Female Dropouts, by Reason 100 90 80 Proportion of female dropouts 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Std 5–6 Std 7–8 Form 1–2 Form 3–4 Other reasons Violence Sickness Pregnancy Poor facilities Marriage Long distances Fees Family responsibilities Employment Availability of teachers Source: EMIS 2015. enrolled females to males in their age group school due to marriage.6 The reasons for male declines sharply starting at age 15. Only 41 of and female dropouts become noticeably differ- enrolled 17 year olds and 39 percent of en- ent in secondary school according to adminis- rolled 18 year olds are female. Secondary primary school, “other” reasons trative data. In ­ school girls may have few role models as fe- and family responsibilities were the main rea- male teachers comprise less than one-third of sons given for dropping out for over 60 per- secondary teachers nationwide (EMIS 2015). cent of boys and girls. By secondary school, More research may be needed to better nearly half of boys are dropping out due to an understand the causes of dropouts. Looking inability to pay school fees, while the top rea- at EMIS reports from the 2014–15 school year, son for girls was tied between school fees and the demand-side factors of pregnancy, eco- pregnancy, both 28 percent (EMIS 2015).7 nomic hardship, and marriage are the main rea- Nevertheless, self-reported administrative sons that girls drop out of school; however, the data on dropouts can be misleading as many proportions change as grade levels increase of the causes are interrelated; further investi- figure 5). In 2014–15, 6 percent of female pri- (­ gations are needed to best understand the mary school dropouts were attributed to preg- prevalence of dropouts due to early pregnancy nancy, although that figure jumps to 28 percent and marriage in Malawi. in secondary school (EMIS). Similarly, 9 percent of female primary school dropouts were due to Issues for Policy Development early marriage, compared with 16 percent of Reducing gender disparities in educational girls dropping out of secondary school (EMIS attainment for adolescents in Malawi re- 2015). Marriage and pregnancy disproportion- quires addressing both the supply of and ately affect different regions of the country. In Shire Highlands, for example, nearly half of all 6   This total included 370 primary boys, 2199 primary female secondary school dropouts were report- school girls, 145 secondary school boys, and 463 secondary school girls (EMIS 2015). edly due to pregnancy.5 The Northern division 7   In secondary school, the top reasons for boys dropping has the highest number of students leaving out were fees (45.6 percent), followed by “other” reasons (14.3 percent) and marriage (8.9 percent). For girls, the 5   Nationwide, 28 percent of all secondary female main reasons were fees (27.7 percent) and pregnancy dropouts in 2014–2015 were due to pregnancy. (27.6 percent), followed by marriage (16.6 percent). 4 demand for quality education; increasing bursaries, cash transfers, and re-entry policies the demand for education for adolescent girls can have limited impact if the quality of educa- requires providing services to meet their spe- tion provided remains poor. In addition to cific needs. While Malawi has a reentry policy reducing the costs of schooling for students, ­ for girls to return to school after giving birth, Malawi’s current and future adolescents can it remains unclear how well the policy is en- greatly benefit from interventions that also forced for males and females, and ultimately focus on the improvement on the quality of ed- how many students return to school after be- ucation and providing opportunities for skilled coming parents. The re-entry policy faces fur- employment. ther obstacles as some religious leaders and head teachers oppose the policy, and it lacks Conclusion a monitoring and evaluation plan as well as While Malawi has made progress in increas- an implementation plan to translate the pol- ing overall enrollment, more effort is needed icy into action. For the teenage mothers that to ensure that adolescent girls stay in school do return to school, additional services, such and complete a quality education. Starting as childcare support, lower schooling fees, in upper grades of primary school, adoles- cash transfers, access to relevant sexual and cent girls are more likely to drop out of reproductive health services, and mentorship, school than their male counterparts, with may be needed to ensure that these girls are pregnancy, early marriage, and school fees able to complete their education. frequently cited as the main reasons. Several ongoing large initiatives are help- Further research is needed to better under- ing to keep Malawian girls in school. The on- stand the causes of dropouts. The MoEST going £37.5 million DfID-sponsored Keeping will need to assess the effectiveness and Girls in School (KGIS) project plans to deliver sustainability of its policy and programs, cash transfers to 100,000 primary school girls, ­ including those by partners, to scale and bursaries to 15,000 secondary school girls, and consolidate accordingly to avoid a scattered improved sanitation and hygiene facilities in approach that benefits only at-risk adoles- 200 community day secondary schools by July cents in certain schools or parts of the 2016. The Ministry of Education, Science, and country. Technology (MoEST) also currently supports over 6,000 needy girls and 8,000 boys with second- References ary school bursaries, two-thirds of whom also EMIS. (2015) MoEST statistics. Ministry of education and receive a cash transfer. At national level, the science and technology, Lilongwe. Hungi, N., Makuwa, D., Ross, K., Saito, M., Dolata, S., van MoEST has a strong National Girls Education Cappelle, F.,& Vellien, J. (2010). SACMEQ III project Strategy to align activities in this area between results: Pupil achievement levels in reading and 2013 and 2018, and the uptake of bylaws by mathematics. Working document, 1. chiefs is helping to change traditional views on Malawi Institute of Education (MIE). 2008. “Assessment adolescent girls at the local level. One of the key of Learning Achievement in Standards 2 and 5 in English, Mathematics and Chichewa in Malawi challenges in Malawi will be to both focus on Primary Schools.” MIE, Department of Research, girls before they reach puberty and to ensure Evaluation and Policy Studies. Domasi, Malawi. that they get the financial, educational, and ———. 2009. Baseline Study on Learning Achievement of emotional support needed to complete primary Standards 3 and 7 Learners in Malawi. Department school and to transition successfully to second- of Research, Evaluation, and policy studies, MIE Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST). ary school. Meanwhile, adolescent boys will also 2014. “National Girls Education Strategy.” MoEST, need support and guidance to invest in their Lilongwe, Malawi. own education and to value the education of National Statistical Office. 2012. Welfare Monitoring their female peers as a way to build stronger Survey 2011. Zomba, Malawi: National Statistical families and communities and to break the Office. ———. 2015. Malawi MDG Endline Survey 2014. Zomba, inter-­generational cycle of poverty. © 2016 International Bank for Reconstruction Malawi: National Statistical Office. and Development / The World Bank. Some Long-term changes in educational attain- World Bank. 2014. Voice and Agency: Empowering Women rights reserved. The findings, interpretations, ment may require additional interventions in and Girls for Shared Prosperity. Washington, DC: and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Malawi. Demand-side interventions such as World Bank. Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. This work is subject to a CC BY 3.0 IGO license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ igo). The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content. It is your responsibility to determine whether permission is needed for reuse and to obtain permission from the copyright owner. If you have questions, email pubrights@ worldbank.org. SKU K8730 5