By Paul Madise
The Director of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Ministry of Higher Education, Associate Professor Chomora Mikeka, has highlighted Malawi’s strong commitment and progress toward building a modern education system powered by digital technology, innovation, and improved infrastructure.
Mikeka made the commitment Friday at the STEMtastic Adventures! Africa Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya, saying it is exciting that Africa is progressively and domestically developing capacity in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), turning policy and theory into practical solutions.
The Director, who is also the Chairperson of the fifth Bureau of the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (STC-ESTI) cited Malawi’s commitment to turning education and STI policies into real action—backed by proper funding in the national budget.
“In Malawi, we are making sure that our education and STI policies and strategies are not just written documents. They are supported by actual money in the national budget so they can be implemented. Therefore, our partners must align funding to these strategies and priorities across Africa,” he said.
Mikeka hinted that the current drive to build skills, infrastructure and enterprises in STEM locally, will help Malawi, and Africa, to produce a critical mass and jobs of the future for youths, in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
He informed the meeting of the timely school curriculum review that is underway in Malawi, to match the demands of today’s world, and asked others to follow suit.
“Our curriculum as read in the current draft National Curriculum and Assessment Framework shows an offering of clear STEM and TEVET pathways to drive innovation through education and training hubs and digital infrastructure. That’s the foundation of our future,” he said.
Mikeka also impressed on Africa to continue to create opportunities for young people to learn modern skills and be creative, through better learning and innovation centres and access to digital tools.
He added that Malawi is working to become a leader in digital and technology-based education in Africa through inclusive policies, modern teaching methods, and ensuring that every child has access to digital learning. Hence Malawi has achieved the lowest data tariff in Africa, and 29th in the world.
“The future of education in Africa must be inclusive, practical, and connected,” he said.
Associate Prof. Mikeka was accompanied by of Associate Professor Joshua Valeta, the Director of Open, Distance and e-Learning, and Mary Chokani-Mphonda, the Digital Education Specialist for the Building Education Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) Program in Malawi.
In line with the vision for EdTech scaling-up, which the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Jessie Kabwila spelt out in her earlier remarks on the opening day, Malawi is poised to join other African countries to pioneer a free African education techonology platform called RESPECT.
The platform will be hosting various excellent learning and STEM apps for both teachers and learners in Africa as approved by their respective member states through line ministries.
