The Malawi National Reading Program

  • P Project/Program

I Inactive

Key Information

USAID/Malawi collaborates with the Malawi Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) to improve student learning outcomes and increase access to quality education, especially for girls. While many more children are attending school than ever before, significant challenges remain related to poor education quality and low transition rates of girls and boys to higher levels of education. USAID is committed to working with the MoEST and other development partners, including civil society, to address those challenges and ensure that children acquire the foundational skills needed to succeed in school and in life. USAID’s education portfolio focuses on primary school reading and language acquisition and education for adolescent girls and young women. Specifically, the collaboration launched the Malawi Early Grade Reading Improvement Activity (MERIT) (September 2015 – September 2020) Implemented by RTI International in all 5,549 primary schools in Malawi to improve reading performance of Malawian students in Standards 1-4. MERIT will improve reading instruction and skills acquisition in the classroom; increase parental and community engagement in support of student reading; create safer learning environments for reading; institute pathways for sustainability; and advance USAID/Malawi’s priority of integration across programs.


Lead Implementing Government(s)

Malawi

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Malawi

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2015 - 2020

Partner(s)

Kris Offset, Social Impact, EnCompass, NORC at the University of Chicago

Ministry Affiliation

Malawi Institute of Education

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary enrollment

Other

  • Early childhood development

Quality

  • Curricula/lesson plans

Skills

  • Literacy

Cross-cutting areas

  • Community sensitization
  • Gender equality
  • Other cultural practices

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys (both in school and out of school), Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary

Other populations reached

  • Fathers
  • Mothers
  • Other community members - female
  • Other community members - male

Participants include

  • N/A

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • Community mobilization

Increased availability of learning materials

  • Textbooks (paper)

School-related gender-based violence

  • Safe and welcoming schools

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – pedagogy general
  • Teaching materials (e.g. lesson plans, curricula)

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Increased literacy
  • Increased school enrolment (general)
  • Increased years of schooling
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Reduced grade repetition

Cross-cutting goals

  • Improved mental health
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms