MALAWI: Seasoned Educationist Backs Catholic Education System in Malawi
Dr. Limbani Nsapto in an interview with this reporter on Luntha Television
Sam Kalimba
A seasoned educationist Dr. Limbani Eliya Nsapato, has backed the Catholic education system in Malawi during an interview on Luntha Television, a Catholic media outlet owned by the Montfort Missionaries. He argued that the Catholic education system provides a holistic curriculum that prepares learners for leadership positions in society.
He was commenting on the performance of Catholic secondary schools in the national secondary school examinations results for 2023 released on 14 September 2023.
“According to the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) 2023 result statement for the Malawi School Leaving Certificate (MSCE), Catholic schools have done so well. When you look at the best 10 schools 9 of them are managed by the Catholic Church. This has been the trend for the past decade or so. While many despise the methodology the Catholic schools use to mentor its learners, I strongly side with it,” said Nsapato.
He likened the Catholic education system with that of a renowned and prestigious Kamuzu International Academy that for many years starting from the era of the first indigenous state president Hastings Kamuzu Banda enrolled best two performing pupils per district qualified for secondary school on government bursary. According to Dr. Nsapato who also taught at that academy in early 2000s, the school had been one of the best performing institutions in Cambridge Examinations beating some schools in the United Kingdom.
“You know, Catholic education system can be likened with Kamuzu academy philosophy. I am lucky that I happened to have experienced both scenarios so I can be trusted to compare the two. I attended my secondary school education at St. Pius XII Minor Seminary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Blantyre which has also done well this year and is in the top ten. After my studies at the University of Malawi where I did bachelors degree of education, I joined the Kamuzu Academy as a teacher. Kamuzu Academy provided everything in terms of education, spiritual, sports, good food, entertainment and name it, this is also what you find at Catholic schools in Malawi on top of top-notch discipline to learners,” he told the viewers on Luntha Television.
“I am not surprised that most of our leaders in the society passed through the corridors of these schools,” Nsapato continued.
He further argued that it was proper for schools to repeat learners that have not done well in a lower class. He asserted that Malawi’s education system is a hierarchical one from the first class of primary education to the last one in universities and colleges in that only those that excel are promoted to a higher class. For this, he said that those who accuse Catholic schools for having only the cream of pupils to seat for MSCE, argue blindly because the education policy in the country provides for it.
“For both learners and parents or guardians, let us strive to be ready for national examinations at all levels. Stop trying seating for national examinations then good results will be on you,” he said.
Announcing the results, MANEB Director, Professor Dorothy Nampota said that out of 154, 132 candidates who sat for the examinations, 83, 846 have passed, representing a 54.40 per cent pass rate. She said that the pass rate for 2023 MSCE examinations is lower than the 58.44 per cent pass rate for 2022 which is regretted. The statement listed top ten schools among which are 4 Catholic minor seminaries, 1 Catholic private secondary school, and 4 government/Catholic aided secondary schools.
On another note, speaking on behalf of Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC), Nsapato advised all stakeholders in education to consider re-strategizing in order to maximise the investment in education. He argued that at a secondary school recurrent unit cost of K173,995 per student per year, the 70,286 students that failed represent an economic loss of about USD11,258,067.91. he said that the money could have worked wonders in improving teacher remuneration, buying teaching and learning materials, recruiting teachers or constructing more labs and classrooms.
