Evaluating the effectiveness of the Malawi primary education policy within the context of the SDGs

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : Education is considered one of the most important keys to the development of a country. Leaders worldwide concur with this notion and this is why nations have undergone various education reforms over time. The year 1994 was of particular historical significance to the nation of Malawi as it was the year that free primary education was introduced. This was as a result of Malawi's participation in the international Jomtien conference in 1990. Since 1990 Malawi has since been a member of a number of international coalitions aimed at tackling development agendas such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the more recent Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Through such coalitions, the nation has adapted and refined its policies.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Malawi primary education policy, given the considerable number of years since the introduction of the free primary education policy in Malawi, to determine the extent to which it gives effect to the Sustainable Development Goals for education policy over time. A longitudinal approach was adopted in order to observe the effectiveness of the policy since its introduction in 1994.The study commences by providing an overview of the notion of development and how it has evolved over time. A linkage is then identified through the literature review on how education is a means to development. Various internationally recognised education indicators which form the basis for measuring success in education were discussed and further narrowed down for the purposes of this research.The study tracked selected input, process and results indicators in the education system as a means of reviewing progress in the achievement of the education policy and development results over the implementation period of the free primary education policy. The study was limited to the secondary data available in the public domain, primarily from UNESCO and the World bank. The results suggest that the policy is working to a certain degree; however, challenges remain in terms of funding and successful implementation of the policy. On the basis of such findings, the main recommendations provided in the thesis are aimed to improve the implementation process.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University