The Education System in Malawi
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To further analyze the degree of inconsistency in allocating teachers within divisions, a regression was run for each of the six divisions. The degree of randomness differs substantially from one division to the other, with higher inconsistencies in teacher allocation observed in the Shire Highlands and Northern divisions, and to a lesser extent in the Central Eastern division (see table 4.19). Table 4.19: Degree of Randomness at Division Level, Government-Funded Schools (2007) Division
Degree of randomness (1-R2) (in %)
Central East
44.8
Central West
38.3
Northern
32.3
Shire Highlands
52.4
South Eastern
48.6
South Western
34.3
Malawi
41.5
Source: EMIS, 2007. Note: Calculations include volunteer teachers.
Disparities in teacher deployment are also striking at the district level, with important disparities found between urban and rural districts. While in all urban districts the STR falls below the 60:1 policy target, in rural districts ratios above 100:1 are not uncommon (Map 4.1). This is the case in Mangochi (129:1), Machinga (117:1), Dedza (110), Ntcheu (102:1), and Mulanje (110:1), which are very far from the policy target (see table 4A.5 in Appendix 4.3 for details). This situation already prevailed in 2000 (CSR, 2004), meaning that little improvement has been made since. Improving the supply of teachers and their deployment is necessary if each student is to benefit from equitable monitoring. Teachers are in acute short supply in many rural districts and the issue of their qualifications remains rampant, although important improvements could have been recorded. The Education Sector Development Plan is planning a series of measures to overcome these problems, such as introducing distance and parallel modes of training (including in service training and continuous professional development programs); providing hardship funds for teachers working in remote zones; and reallocating CDSS primary teachers to primary schools. Allocation of Material Resources: Book Allocation Process and Book Allocation Empirical Results The allocation of textbooks in primary schools is set by the guidelines on Teaching and Learning Materials (formerly the Draft National School Textbook Policy of 2006), which states in its foreword that “The education system must have a continuous supply of quality, relevant and accessible teaching and learning materials to a ratio of 1:1.� As such, the intention is to allocate one textbook per learner for each subject taught. Replacement of textbooks is planned every three years.