Parliament has committed to launching an inquiry into Malawi's deepening foundational learning crisis, in a move aimed at strengthening oversight and pushing for reforms to improve learning outcomes in primary schools.
The commitment was made on Monday during the launch of a policy brief titled Are Our Children Learning? at Parliament Building in Lilongwe.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Mutani Tambala, who officially launched the policy brief, said Parliament would spearhead the inquiry to establish why many children are failing to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills despite increased access to education.
"Access to school alone is not ensuring that children actually learn," Tambala said. "This inquiry will help us understand the gaps and hold government accountable for delivering learning for every child."
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The policy brief, developed by civil society organisations and education partners, paints a worrying picture of learning outcomes in Malawi's primary schools. While school enrolment has improved significantly over the years, the report shows that only 19 percent of children can read with understanding, 13 percent possess basic numeracy skills, and only 33 percent complete primary education.
The report also reveals high repetition and age-for-grade challenges, with 39 percent of Standard One learners repeating the grade and only 22 percent being of the appropriate age for their class.
Senior Policy and Advocacy Adviser at the International Parliamentary Network for Education, Beth Gum, said Malawi's success in expanding access to education has not been matched by improvements in learning.
"We have made important progress in getting children into classrooms, but that progress has not translated into children acquiring the foundational skills they need to succeed," she said.
The policy brief warns that the learning crisis carries significant long-term economic and social consequences. It notes that children who acquire foundational reading, writing and numeracy skills at the appropriate age are likely to earn 20 to 40 percent more during adulthood, with the greatest benefits accruing to women and, ultimately, their children.
Executive Director of the Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC), Benedicto Kondowe, described the engagement with Members of Parliament as productive, saying lawmakers had demonstrated commitment to addressing the crisis.
"Every child deserves to learn. Being in a classroom is not enough," Kondowe said. "Access has improved, but learning outcomes remain a challenge. We need a policy shift that focuses on whether children are actually learning."
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He said the planned parliamentary inquiry would provide legislators with the evidence required to strengthen oversight and hold the government accountable.
"This inquiry will give Parliament the evidence it needs to ensure government delivers for our children," he said.
Among its recommendations, the policy brief calls for action that extends beyond the Ministry of Education. It advocates strengthening teachers' capacity to teach reading using effective methods, providing evidence-based textbooks and workbooks, and expanding foundational learning programmes to reach all communities.
Members of Parliament serving on the Education, Budget and Social Welfare committees attended the launch, signalling broad recognition that addressing the learning crisis will require coordinated action across sectors.
The event was organised by ActionAid Malawi, the Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC), FAWEMA, FEDOMA, VVOB, Education for Development, UNICEF, TaRL Africa, Rays of Hope, and the Local Education Group (LEG), with support from the International Parliamentary Network for Education.
The organisers said the initiative seeks to amplify the voices of communities demanding quality education and to ensure every child in Malawi acquires the foundational skills needed to thrive in school and later in life.
