Cost, financing and school effectiveness of education in Malawi : A future of limited choices and endless opportunities

This study is part of a series of education country status reports (CSRs) being prepared by World Bank staff in collaboration with national teams from various Sub-Saharan countries. The immediate objective is to enhance the knowledge base for policy development. More broadly, CSRs create a basis for engaging a diverse audience in dialogue on education sector policies and for developing a shared vision for the future. In Malawi, as in other low-income countries, two specific goals in education stand out: ensuring that all children complete basic schooling of adequate quality; and managing the production of graduates at post-basic levels, in terms of quantity and skill level and mix, to match the demand for skilled labor. To fulfill these objectives, an infusion of resources, from both domestic and international sources, may well be needed. However, an equally important requirement is to ensure that currently available resources are used efficiently and equitably. In the case of Malawi, the CSR has been extensively used to target interventions under the Education Sector Support Project (ESSUP1) and to further a broad based dialogue with all donors and stakeholders. Further, the CSR can play a useful guiding role in the Government's preparation of an education sector plan for Malawi, which will set the directions for reforms and investments in the sector in coming years. For the World Bank's part, the document is helping to facilitate ongoing discussions to improve the management of the system, its internal efficiency, and most importantly, to improve quality.