Costs for Secondary School

In Malawi there are at least three secondary school options.  A student can go to school full time during the day, part-time in the afternoons or they can attend a boarding school.  The costs for each are as follows:

Ntcheu, where the day care is located provides all of these school options.  I stayed at the Community Day Secondary School one summer.  The teachers there are not necessarily qualified as teachers.  Some have college diplomas, some have a university degree but none is university trained as a teacher.  Most have very poor English skills.  The classes are large and resources are limited.

The secondary school which is a boarding school is quite nice.  Teachers there are university educated and/or trained as teachers.  The school has computers and a good science lab.  The facilities are clean and well cared for Students must board.  They can not attend as day students.

Secondary school in Malawi is generally 4 years.  An examination is taken at the end of grade 10 and again at the end of grade 12.  Students are not required to complete all four years but obviously job prospects are better if they finish.  University acceptance is dependent upon the performance on the final exam in grade 12.

Students are selected to secondary schools after completing an examination at the end of grade 8. Students with higher marks are selected to boarding schools but can choose to go to a day school if finances dictate.

As you can see, education is not always easily attainable for Malawians.  Many families are earning about $12 a month and have several children.  The orphans are living with caregivers who are surviving on subsistence farming and piece work.  As secondary school approaches, many will not be able to attend.  I’m sure this is the case all over Malawi.  Unfortunately the cycle of poverty continues.

Tags: itatu, itatu orphan care, jennifer douma, malawi

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