The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology says the new secondary school curriculum is designed to address emerging issues and social needs of the country.
The initiators of the new curriculum, Malawi Institute of Education, indicated that the curriculum was intended to reflect the societal needs and skills required to the learners with the ability to live a meaningful life in their communities. The key design features of the new curriculum are; Outcomes Based Education, Learner-Centred Pedagogies, Indigenous Knowledge and Continuous Assessment.
Secondly, the curriculum advocates for learner centred teaching approach. The learner-centred methods recommended in the curriculum include teaching strategies such as case studies, brainstorming, field visits, panel discussion, story-telling, songs, group discussion, debate, posters, role play, games, projects, poetry recitals and drama.
Several factors have shaped curriculum change and development in Malawi. These factors border on political, social, economic and external influences, the most salient of these external influences being globalisation.
As curriculum innovation is a continuous process, it is expected that curriculum planners in Malawi will be constantly changing the curriculum to respond to the needs of the country.
Mussa said the reviewed curriculum, is to be implemented from September next year.
