Africa-Press – Malawi. Renowned education advocate and activist Dr. Limbani Nsapato has weighed in on the heated discussion about the recently launched ruling Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) 2025 manifesto, bemoaning gaps in education pledges and absence of strategies to achieve key expectations in the sector.
Nsapato, who is Link For Education Governance (LEG) Executive Director, says the education manifesto is “incomplete and unachievable” in five years.
MCP, led by President Lazarus Chakwera, officially launched their manifesto ahead of the 16th September general election, pledging to improve education as a critical catalyst for development, among other promises.
Some of the pledges are: expanding access to quality education for vulnerable groups, replacing grass-thatched schools with modern classrooms by 2030 and provide loans for 40,000 low-income university students.
Other promises are: implementing school feeding programmes by 2030, prioritize industry-responsive education, and scaling up TEVET centres and promote internships, apprenticeships, and digital literacy training.
However, in an analysis made available to Nyasa Times, Nsapato decries “non prioritization” of these pledges in the MCP’s new manifesto, accusing the party of not providing a “fully-fledged” chapter on education in the first place.
“This act is a departure from what the party did in its 2019 manifesto. One has to read the new manifesto wholly to get the gist of key education priorities,” said the LEG Executive Director.
“While the manifesto is strong on access, infrastructure, and skills training, it lacks critical components on learning outcomes, inclusiveness, teacher motivation, and sector-wide governance.
“All those are essential for transformative, resilient, and equitable education in line with local and global frameworks on education”.
More pledges by MCP include: creating three Early Childhood Development centres in each underserved ward, teacher and institutional strengthening, and improve teacher training and provision of teaching resources.
However, Nsapato further says some, if not most of the promises, do not “seem realistic” to achieve in five years.
He adds a lot of critical elements are missing, including no clear targets or plans to improve foundational learning and adult literacy campaigns.
“The MCP manifesto does not also address teaching profession attractiveness, mental health, and leadership—especially for women.
“There are no indicators, no clear implementation roadmap, and no education budget or accountability mechanisms outlined,” Nsapato said.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
