The Education System in Malawi
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The main consequence is that the projections are more realistic, showing no major fluctuation, and average growth rates per age are more reasonable. Another consequence is that the structure per age of the population remains stable during the projected period. Figure 2A.10: Malawian Population Projections per Single Ages, According to the UN 600,000
Number of Inhabitants
500,000
1998 1999 2000 2006 2007
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0 0
5
10
15 Age
20
25
30
Source: United Nations unit for population.
In looking at the school age population for 2007, the choice between one of the two estimates will have major consequences on the education indicators because the differences between the two estimates particularly concerns people who were younger than 21 in 1998. As already mentioned, the national estimates for 2007 show a drop between ages 8 and 9, displaying an unrealistic evolution. Using the UN population leads to a smoothed trend. The population of primary education school age children is 3,266,883, while the national estimate is 2,849,498. This will affect the indicators, particularly after Standard 3, since the difference for ages 6, 7, and 8 is slight.