Second opportunities for women

in rural Malawi

Lore Gallastegi The Open University in Scotland

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MATSS

Malawi Access to Teaching Saltire Scholarship

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Malawi Primary Education

• Large class sizes in Malawi primary schools

• Only 10% of children in rural primary schools have a female teacher

• High female drop-out in rural primary education and low achievement

• Low numbers of suitably qualified female applicants to formal teaching training courses

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Project outcomes

• Improved visibility of women in education – as educators and learners – in rural communities

• Increased numbers of suitably qualified and motivated women applying to teacher training or teaching assistant programmes in rural areas

• High quality study and practice based materials with participatory pedagogy

• Improved understanding and skills of head teachers and teachers in managing additional adult helpers in their classrooms

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Key features of the Programme

• Combination of academic study (towards MSCE) and structured school experience practice

• Empowering women in their own communities • Women as role models in their own communities

• Women taking responsibility for their own study

• Use of peer support • Strong school and community focus • Support from local networks with local knowledge

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MATSS Project 2011 - 2012

• April 2011 – March 2012

• 4 districts, 488 Scholars

District Total

scholars in

district

Chikhwawa 118

Dedza 121

Mwanza 146

Ntchisi 103

Mwanza Scholars; April 2011

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Chikwawa Scholars; April 2011

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Who are the MATSS Scholars? Scholars’ ages

Age band Chikhwawa Dedza Mwanza Ntchisi

Grand

Total

<20 4 2 1 8 15

20-24 58 53 60 49 220

25-29 28 46 43 32 149

30,34 15 15 25 7 62

35+ 7 4 12 0 23

Not Known 6 1 5 7 19

Grand Total 118 121 146 103 488

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Barriers to success in MSCE

• Pressure from • Peers

• Family

• Community

• Family environment • Bereavement

• Travel

• Lack of teacher support

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Reasons to join programme

• “I want to encourage girls as an example to work hard at school because they use early marriage, as of now Standard 8 has no girls. I want to teach the villagers how to read and write.” (C031)

• I will set myself as a good example to my friends who left school without good reasons and refuse to go back to school.” (C013)

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Reasons to join programme (2)

• “Because it helps to reduce women’s ignorance in the country.” (C004)

• “So it is my ambition to help the villagers and village head men to help all the children who don’t like tp go to school...we want to empower all the children surrounding us.” (M025)

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Scholars’ perceptions of women teachers

• “Women teachers are first teachers at home.”(M119)

• “It encourages the women to be independent. It assists the women to increase our knowledge. It assists women to be active in our family. It helps the girls to avoid early marriage.” (M098)

• “Women teachers support the orphans and other children.” (M136)

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Strengths of Scholars

• Commitment

• Resilience

• Support from: • Peers

• Teachers

• Community

• District officers

• Resources

• Local NGOs

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Dedza Scholars; October 2011

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Further information

www.tessafrica.net

Lore Gallastegi The Open University in Scotland

l.gallastegi@open.ac.uk

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