All government primary and secondary schools across Malawi have opened today for the second term of the 2025/26 academic year, despite widespread infrastructure damage caused by heavy rains in several districts, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has confirmed.
The development follows a reversal of an earlier ministry decision that had delayed the reopening of some public schools in districts affected by damage to the M1 and M5 roads. Initially, MoEST had announced that national secondary schools and some district boarding secondary schools in the affected areas would reopen on Monday, January 12, 2026, citing travel and safety challenges.
However, in a press statement issued yesterday and signed by MoEST Secretary Ken Ndala, the ministry said the situation had changed, allowing most schools to resume learning today as originally scheduled.
"This means that all public national and district boarding secondary schools will open on 5 January 2026 as previously scheduled," Ndala said. "However, public schools in Nkhotakota District will remain closed and open on 12 January 2026 as earlier announced due to the flood response efforts taking place within the district."
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Earlier Safety Concerns
On Saturday, MoEST had justified the postponement as a measure to accommodate learners and teachers facing disrupted travel due to washed-away roads and bridges.
"This measure is intended to accommodate travel challenges and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged due to the current road situation," Ndala said at the time.
The ministry had also announced last week that all public primary and secondary schools in Nkhotakota District would open on January 12 to allow time for cleaning, repairs and coordination with disaster response teams following flooding.
Civil Society Backs Caution
Commenting on the matter, Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) Executive Director Benedicto Kondowe said delaying reopening in severely affected areas was a prudent, safety-driven decision.
"Opening schools where learners and teachers cannot safely travel would be administratively neat but practically unjust and unsafe," Kondowe said.
He added that a short, well-managed delay would not negatively affect learning.
"What matters now is that the ministry supports catch-up strategies and ensures that once schools reopen on 12 January, learning proceeds in a stable and inclusive environment," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Rains Leave Trail of Destruction
The reopening comes against the backdrop of severe flooding and infrastructure damage caused by heavy rains received between late December and early January.
Several key roads were damaged, including the M1 road between Kasungu and Mzimba and the M5 road between Nkhotakota and Nkhata Bay. Along the Kasungu-Mzimba stretch, Mphomwa and Nkhamenya bridges were washed away, while flooding rendered Dwangwa, Kaombe, Nchandilo and Nkaika bridges impassable.
According to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), more than 9,000 households were affected by the floods between December 22 and 30, 2025. Dodma also reported that four people died, 101 were injured, and 354 people were rescued during the period.
Learning Resumes Amid Challenges
As schools reopen today, authorities face the challenge of ensuring safe access, particularly in flood-prone areas where infrastructure remains damaged. While classrooms across most districts are now open, the situation in Nkhotakota highlights the continuing impact of extreme weather on education and public infrastructure.
Education stakeholders say the focus must now shift to learner safety, recovery of lost learning time and long-term investment in climate-resilient school infrastructure, as Malawi continues to grapple with the effects of heavy rains.
