Update: At the close of the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange in Lilongwe, 42 African governments agreed to a shared plan aimed at ending learning poverty by 2035, according to a Ministry of Education release. The regional commitments focus on improving domestic funding and introducing artificial intelligence into classroom teaching. Malawi's Minister of Education, Bright Msaka, told delegates that the current education crisis across the continent represents a failure of systems to deliver rather than a lack of student intellect.
In Parliament, Nsanje Central MP Francis Kasaila challenged Minister Msaka over inflated construction costs for secondary schools funded through the Constituency Development Fund, Nyasa Times reports. Kasaila noted that local contractors are quoting councils up to K5 billion per school. In contrast, Msaka recently commissioned the Kalanga Community Day Secondary School in Mwanza. This facility was fully built and equipped by a German charity for roughly K250 million, leading the minister to issue a stern warning to councils regarding excessive pricing.
Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom has updated its international admissions guidance, officially recognising master's degrees from only two Malawian institutions for direct entry into its postgraduate programmes, Malawi24 reports. Applicants from the University of Malawi (UNIMA) and Mzuzu University (MZUNI) holding a Grade 4 pass are now eligible for direct consideration, while graduates from other local universities are not listed under the current postgraduate entry requirements.
UNIMA is also expanding its academic networks, according to recent university bulletins. The university hosted a delegation from the Malawi-Scotland Partnership to formalise joint research and staff development programmes. In a separate meeting, UNIMA and the Malawi Research and Education Network held talks with the Tanzania Education and Research Network to share digital infrastructure strategies and improve internet services across campuses.
Primary education facilities in the central region received additional support this week as the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance launched a new infrastructure project. According to an official statement, the organisation partnered with the Ministry of Education to install clean water boreholes and distribute double-seater desks across six schools in Lilongwe and Kasungu, directly supporting over 3,000 students preparing for national examinations.