Fighting resource scarcity – sustainability in the education system of Malawi – case study of Karonga, Mzimba and Nkhata Bay district

Abstract

Malawi and specifically the Northern Region remains a mostly agricultural and very rural country. Hence, many households rely on agricultural activities, either as smallholder farmers or employees on bigger farms. Furthermore, the Malawian population growth of three per cent per annum is very high, which is why the demand for food and other resources like water or energy increases drastically. As 'Agriculture' is a subject within the Malawian curriculum this article focuses on its role and content. The research focuses on the teaching methods and content of the subject. A main focus was put on the way the concept of sustainability is being taught and the areas of sustainability that are being covered. A qualitative methodological approach, combining document analysis, ethnographical research and fourteen semi-structured interviews with teachers at public secondary schools in the Northern Region provided an in-depth insight into how the concept of sustainability is being grasped and taught. The importance and chances of teaching 'Agriculture' as a subject became visible, while at the same time many general and subject-specific obstacles remain and partly diminish the positive effects of the subject. Teachers are aware of the concept of sustainability, without necessarily being familiar with the terminology 'sustainability' .

(Re)discovering Pedagogy of the Oppressed

“…Malawi is a landlocked country in the sub-Sahara that is referred to globally as "… one of the poorest … in the world" (International Monetary Fund, 2017, p. 4), is ranked 174th out of 187 in terms of poorest and least developed (UNDP, 2014, p. 162), and the United Nations describes it in terms of being impoverished (Gwede, 2015). If anyone has romantic ideas of local contentment in opposition to these poverty definers, local rural Malawians shatter this illusion when they self-identify as "… very poor" (Stonebanks, 2008, p. 389;Emory, 2015, p. 10), with academics equally echoing the people's state of living (Miller et al, 2010;Chowns, 2015;Mchenga et al, 2017;Kretzer et al, 2017). With extreme economic poverty, education (Durston & Nashire, 2001;Roche, 2016) and healthcare (Makwero, 2018;Makaula et al, 2019) sectors (despite best efforts) are overwhelmed and unable to provide basic services to a population of 19 million.…”

Reflections: Professional Development Using a Gradual Release Model to Facilitate Culturally Responsive Strategies in a Rural Secondary School Curriculum in Malawi

“…Students in rural areas and girls have less access to education than do their male and urban counterparts (Chimombo, 2009a)). Over 80% of Malawi’s population lives in rural areas; however the students who live in these areas are often poor and have difficulty physically accessing schools (Dube, 2017; Kretzer, Engler, Gondwe, & Trost, 2017). The student to teacher ratio in Malawi is 120 to 1.…”

Potential of ‘future workshop’ method for educating adolescents about climate change mitigation and adaptation: a case from Freistadt, Upper Austria

“…Helping students to connect with their regional community is important and in line with the ideas of place-based education (Smith, 2007). Such approach has produced very positive reactions from teachers in other countries (Kretzer et al, 2017).…”