SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRIC A’S DE VELOPMENT MARCH 2014 85805 What Will it Take to Turn Around Higher Education in Malawi? The State of Higher Education in Malawi KEY MESSAGES n The Malawi Growth Development Strategy II recognizes The Malawi higher education sector the crucial role of higher education as a key driver of is still relatively underdeveloped. competitiveness and growth. Its two public universities and n The country’s higher education system needs to be five private universities together overhauled to take in more students, achieve greater equity enroll about 12,000 students. The in enrollment, and offer higher-quality programs relevant to supply of qualified graduates is market needs. highly inadequate, both in terms of numbers and quality, and the n A major concern is that there are far too few qualified research output of the two public graduates to meet market needs in the country—a gap that is universities is small. The quality bound to negatively affect the economy if unaddressed. assurance system is still nascent, n University management should include private sector and civil and the governance system needs society representatives to ensure that learning is delivered to be revisited to bring in other more efficiently and is aligned with market needs. stakeholders such as the private n Encouraging private providers and exploring more sustainable sector and civil society organizations. avenues of financing are critical to bridge Malawi’s financing Despite the government spending a and capacity gaps in higher education. relatively high share of its education budget on higher education (28 percent in 2010, as shown in Figure that increase equitable access and both public and private higher 1), the higher education system provide quality education relevant education institutions to assess the does not have sufficient resources to the labor market in a financially focus areas of access and equity; to sustain enrollment growth sustainable manner. Data and quality and relevance; governance and improve quality. Finally, from information were collected from and management; and financing. an equity viewpoint, students from high-income families are Figure 1. Higher education budget as a share of the total disproportionately represented in education budget higher education (91 percent). 9,000 28% 8,000 27% Recognizing the Need 7,821 Percent of Education Budget 7,000 7,460 26% for Improvement 25.8% Subvention Millions 6,000 25% 5,886 5,900 The Malawi Growth Development 5,000 24% 23.8% Strategy II (MGDS II) recognizes the 4,000 23% crucial role of higher education as 3,000 21.8% 22% a key driver of competitiveness and 21.9% 2,000 21% growth. The Ministry of Education, 20% 1,000 Science and Technology (MoEST) 0 19% supported by the World Bank, has 2008 2009 2010 2011 recently assessed the performance Subvention Percent of the higher education system with Source: Approved Estimates of Expenditure on Recurrent and Capital Accounts (Malawi) a view to exploring policy options ENSURE ACCESS AND EQUITY Figure 2. Enrollment per 100,000 inhabitants in selected At less than 1 percent, Malawi’s tertiary African countries (2009) education enrollment rate is among the lowest in the world and well 2500 Enrollment per 100,000 Inhabitants below the average for Sub-Saharan 2012 2000 Africa. In 2011, the country had only 80 students per 100,000 inhabitants, 1500 compared to 211 for the region (see Figure 2). Socio economic and 1000 883 925 gender disparities are stark: 91 percent 625 506 591 of those enrolled in universities 500 349 396 426 433 294 come from the richest quintile of 80 137 139 the population while less than one 0 Malawi Tanzania Mozambique Angola Madagascar Zimbabwe Lesotho Congo, Dem. Rep. Kenya Swaziland Ghana Botswana Namibia Mauritius percent are from the poorest quintile. Further, the average share of females was 45 percent in private institutions, but 35 percent in public institutions. Source: Anglo American 2012 Sustainable Development Report Very few disabled students are enrolled because the infrastructure the country’s key growth areas of the rapid increase in enrollment in most universities is not accessible engineering, business, information in the past few years. A shortage to those living with disability. MoEST of qualified academic staff has left and communication technologies, is prioritizing access and equity in students without quality teaching tourism, mining, agriculture and higher education because of the and also resulted in a rise in the construction, the education sector low enrollment in this subsector student/lecturer ratio. Inadequate has largely not been able to supply and the unmet demand for qualified infrastructure and equipment has graduates with the relevant skills and graduates. Figure 3 offers a detailed constrained access and compromised knowledge base. view of the evolution of enrollment by quality. Lack of funding has meant gender and provider type in Malawi. that most institutions can no longer In order to expand postgraduate afford objective external examiners. studies, constrained by lack of BUILD QUALITY AND senior staff, Malawi could consider RELEVANCE Further, employers are expressing participating in regional initiatives Malawi’s higher education institutions concern over the relevance of aimed at setting up centers of have struggled to maintain quality the programs offered. Despite excellence that combine advanced as they have tried to accommodate the demand for qualified labor in studies at the masters and doctoral levels with high-quality research. Figure 3. Evolution of enrollment in Malawi by provider type and The Nelson Mandela Institute of gender (2008 - 2011) Technology and the Ouagadougou- based International Institute for Water 7,000 50% and Environmental Management 6,000 45% 40% are two examples of successful 5,000 35% regional institutions that offer Enrollment 30% advanced training and research at Percent 4,000 25% 3,000 an internationally recognized level. A 20% 2,000 15% complementary approach would be 10% to facilitate strong partnerships with 1,000 5% a few carefully selected universities to 0 0% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2008 2009 2010 2011 help build postgraduate teaching and Public Male Private Male % Female Pb % Private research capacity in Malawi. Public Female Private Female % Female Pv An important recent development Source: Higher Education Institutions at the system level has been the establishment of the National Council 2 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT for Higher Education (NCHE), whose require substantial resources, estimated Several resource mobilization role will be, among other things, to at around US$ 33 million against measures could be taken to improve ensure quality in higher education expected revenues of US$ 16.9 million, financial sustainability. First, public institutions. creating a financing gap of about US$ institutions should be allowed to 16 million. This emphasizes the need charge higher fees, and the student STRENGTHEN GOVERNANCE for additional sources of income. loan system should operate more AND MANAGEMENT efficiently, especially in terms of Malawi’s public higher education While private universities rely chiefly loan recovery for those not able institutions fall under the jurisdiction on tuition fees, public universities to afford the increased fees. The of MoEST, which develops the have three main sources of revenue: loans should also be accessible overarching vision, mission and government subventions which to Malawian students in private strategic direction for higher constitute about 80 percent of universities. Second, the government education. Each individual institution total income, tuition fees, and self- could offer matching grants to is expected to elaborate its own generated resources mainly through encourage universities and other strategic plan based on the MGDS II project and research grants. Even higher education institutions to raise and the National Education Sector Plan though the share of the government’s additional funds through contract (2009–2017) (NESP). While Malawian overall education budget received work and fund-raising from alumni universities are relatively autonomous, by higher education institutions is and private sector philanthropists. their tuition fee levels are set by the relatively high (20-28 percent over The private sector can effectively government, resulting in serious the past few years), the amounts complement the public higher underfunding. Further, the university are largely inadequate to support education sub-sector in meeting governing councils could benefit the financial needs of the higher the country’s needs for quality from the participation of a wider education system, which has graduates at little or no cost to the pool of stakeholders, including from suffered increasingly from insufficient government through establishment the private sector and civil society, resources to address its expansion and of Public Private Parnerships. Third, instead of having only university quality improvement needs. the government could introduce a representatives and government combination of performance-based members. MoEST could support Encouraging enrollment in private budget allocation mechanisms senior management in universities institutions could ease the burden to encourage higher education with skills training in academic of a growing student population institutions to be more innovative planning and financial management. on Malawi’s public universities. At and make good use of scarce a policy level, the government will resources. A key area for improvement is the have to create a more favourable coordination between the MoEST environment for private institutions. and the post-secondary vocational Limited government subsidies could The Malawi Growth education providers. At present, be offered to private institutions Development Strategy II there is a fragmented tertiary willing to introduce high-priority The MGDS II provides a useful education system with insufficient study areas such as engineering or framework to guide reforms in communication among the various health sciences. Simultaneously, the higher education sector. A types of providers, lack of coherence the government through the NCHE comprehensive vision should now be in the curriculum across institutions, should establish appropriate quality articulated for the development of and little intra-system student mobility. assurance mechanisms (licensing public and private higher education Moving forward, it would be important and accreditation) to ensure good institutions, with an appropriate to embrace a holistic approach to standards in the programs offered by quality assurance system. Efforts to human capital development. private institutions. Technical colleges expand enrollment and improve the and other tertiary level institutions quality and relevance of programs INCREASE FINANCIAL could absorb a number of secondary must be anchored in a sustainable RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY, school graduates and offer them financing strategy. Also, appropriate ENCOURAGE PRIVATE market focused courses. Distance governance reforms and measures to PROVIDERS learning is also an option worth improve the management capacity The anticipated expansion of higher exploring for its proven ability to reach of institutions must be put in place in education enrollments to about 17,000 students in rural areas and from the order to facilitate the implementation in 2015, up from today’s 12,000, will poorest social stratum. of the proposed reform program. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO TURN AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION IN MALAWI? 3 Table 1. A policy matrix for higher education in Malawi Policy Objectives Issues to be Addressed Policy Options Increase access Low enrollment rate Expansion of non-university institutions Insufficient supply Further development of private sector Expand loan scheme to all Malawians Emergence of distance education options Improve equity Under-representation of low- Targeted scholarships and student loans for low-income students (in both income students public and private institutions) Gender imbalance in scientific Outreach programs to motivate girls in high schools to pursue STEM subjects disciplines Bridging programs for students from disadvantaged areas Enhance quality Insufficiently qualified Government incentives programs for training of academics abroad and academics recruitment upon their return to Malawi Insufficient pedagogical Ring-fencing of resources for pedagogical aspects in institutional budgets resources for teaching and Strengthening of broadband and ICT resources learning Development of internal QA mechanisms, including performance evaluation Weak internal quality assurance of academics mechanisms External examination on a regular basis Under-developed national QA system. Strengthening of national QA Agency Increase relevance Lack of qualified graduates Conduct regular tracer and employer surveys to meet need of expanding Closer linkages between higher education institutions and productive sectors economy (including participation in curriculum design) Under-developed graduate Open university Boards to representatives from productive sectors programs Participation in regional centers of excellence projects Strategic partnerships with foreign universities for capacity-building purposes Allocate public Budget does not reward efficient Design funding formula that takes unit costs and measures of effectiveness subsidies on the and effective use of resources into consideration basis of performance criteria Re-engineer the Ineffective targeting and low Redesign the student loan scheme, improve targeting, modernize its student loan scheme repayment management and strengthen repayment mechanisms Strengthen Weak university boards Include representatives from private sector and civil society and revise terms institutional of reference of university boards governance MORE ON THE TOPIC • Accelerating Catch-up. Tertiary Education for Growth in Sub-Sahara Africa. Directions in Development. Human Development. World Bank. Washington DC. • Adams, J., Christopher K., and Daniel, H. 2010. Global Research Report: Africa, London: Thomson Reuters. • Irandoust, S & and Kromadit, V. 2010. The Time is Now for Public-Private Partnerships in Higher Learning. Special to The Nation Published on June 4, 2010 found on the Internet • Pfeiffer, D., and Chiunda, G. 2008 Tracer study of TEVET and Higher Education Completers in Malawi-Final Report. • Scot, G. Effective Change Management in Higher Education. Educause Review 2003. • Financing Higher Education in Africa. Directions in Human Development. Human Development. World Bank.