The Malawi government announced the cancellation of tuition fees in all public secondary schools starting from January 1, as part of a step aimed at expanding educational opportunities and achieving educational justice.
An official statement by the Ministry of Education, published on its Facebook page, stated that the decision includes canceling exam fees and fees for issuing national ID cards that were imposed on primary and secondary national exams, and the government fully assumed the coverage of the School Development Fund and all other costs that were previously borne by families. Thus, students enrolled in public day schools no longer pay any school fees.
The Ministry explained that the new policy does not include all institutions, as public boarding schools will continue to charge accommodation fees, and open secondary schools and subsidized schools affiliated with the Christian Teachers Association will maintain their fees, with the government covering school development fees and other fees through direct subsidies and financial settlements until December 2025.
This reform comes as part of a broader legal and strategic framework that is in line with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and contributes to achieving the fourth goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which guarantees free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education for all by 2030. It is also consistent with Malawi Vision 2063 and the National Education Sector Plan 2020-2030, which focuses on human capital development.
