By Edwin Mbewe
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Development for adult learning and education continues facing numerous challenges in the country, the major one being funding.
However, this has been so due to lack of policy and strategy to promote the sector.
But now the country has the policy and strategy to help promote the sector hence DVV International, ALE Thematic and various stakeholders banged heads on how they can promote the sector, mainly now that the country has much awaited National Adult Literacy and Education Policy and Strategic Plan (2022-2027).
Speaking during a round table panel discussion – first of its kind for the ALE Thematic Group members – the panelists bemoaned poor funding for the ALE sector in Malawi and little adherence to inclusive education.
Renowned education activist and board chairperson for Civil Society on Education Coalition (CSEC), Dr Limbani Nsapato bemoaned lack of political will in Malawi and urged leaders at various levels to push for more funding into ALE sector.
“In Malawi, there is low investment towards ALE as compared to other forms of education”, said Nsapato,who is also the Country Director for Edukans Foundation.
According to the Malawi Housing and Population Census of 2018, up to 4.7 million people are illiterate in Malawi, representing 31.4 percent illiterate rate. Out of this, 1.6 million illiterate people are females, representing 34.1 percent.
Charles Mkunga, the Deputy Director at the National Centre for Literacy and Adult Education (NACLAE) – a department under the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare – said, Malawi government is committed to promote ALE by ensuring that the major challenges are solved.
However, he was quick to say this is not the role of government only.
“Everyone should take part. ALE is cross cutting issue, therefore, all stakeholders in all development sectors should come out and join our efforts to promote ALE in Malawi.”
“Successful implementation of the NALEP and the ALE Strategic Plan will rely on joint efforts by all stakeholders including chiefs”,
“The operationalization of these two documents need our efforts, dedication and lobbying for increased funding. ALE advocacy should be done throughout the year not only when Malawi is commemorating International Literacy Day every September 8th,” He added.
Like the Belem Framework for action 2009 which called for inclusive adult education, the National Adult Literacy and Education Strategic Plan also calls for ALE players to accommodate all learners irrespective of any individual differences.
Commenting in line with these instruments, Forum for the Development of Youth with Disabilities (FDYD) Executive Director who was one of the panelists, Rex Kalima, lamented low turn up among people with disabilities in adult classes.
“It is good that a lot of good things are happening in ALE sector. However, we should do more than this. A lot of people are attending adult classes but there are very few people with disabilities. We should make the adult classes conducive for people with disabilities. Malawi, through the National Strategy on Inclusive Education, aims at ensuring that learners with diverse needs in Malawi have equitable access to quality education in inclusive settings at all levels through the removal of barriers to learning, participation, attendance and achievement.
Kalima further said that most of the infrastructures in Malawi are not friendly to people with disabilities.
Kalima echoes the theme for 2022 International Literacy Day which was ‘Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces’,
He lamented that sometimes it is not easy to raise these concerns through the media, Nsapato hailed the media for ALE visibility mainly during the past three years.
Another panelist, Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter Vice Chairperson Mandy Pondani who also works with Times Group, urged the journalists to pitch more stories on ALE as it is a pillar for development as the country walks towards the Vision 2063 which is the country’s development blue print.
Another panelist during the discussion was Centre for Human Rights Education and Assistance (CHREAA) legal assistant, Brenda Khwale, who highly praised ALE as a tool to reduce recidivism in Malawi. Her organization is working in partnership with DVV International to provide technical support to Malawi Prisons Service for Education in Prison pilot programme.
DVV International Regional Director for Southern Africa, David Harrington, hailed the panelists for raising pertinent issues mainly the challenges the sector is facing and how to eliminate them. DVV International has been working in Malawi since 2017.
The German organization has provided more technical support and capacity building to Malawi Government through NACLAE.
Furthermore, DVV International is providing technical support to Catholic University of Malawi (CUNIMA) which is offering a Diploma course in Adult Education and Development.
