This article makes an assessment on the implementation of the decentralization policy in education in Malawi in relation to the achievement of its objectives. To bring this into perspective, the socioeconomic, legal and political contexts, and the related policies, which have a bearing on education decentralization, have been analyzed. The decentralization of education in Malawi has to a great extent been unable to meet its objectives as a result of reluctance of the central ministry to cede more decision-making power to the local level, and due to insufficient human resources. The article concludes by giving policy recommendations.
African Development Fund (2000). Support to community day secondary schools. Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org.
3.
AndersonS. E. (2003). The school district role in educational change: A review of the literature.Toronto, NO: International Centre for Educational Change.
4.
BurbanoC., & GelliA. (2009). School feeding, seasonality and schooling outcomes: A case study from Malawi.
ChimomboJ. (2008). Decentralization of education and governance for quality education and roles of international cooperation in Malawi. Retrieved from http://home.hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
7.
ChiwezaA. L. (2010). A Review of the Decentralization Process: Lessons from Selected Districts.
8.
The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi Act (1995). The constitution of the Republic of Malawi.Lilongwe: Government of Malawi.
9.
DulaniB. (n.d.). The status of decentralization in Malawi.Zomba: University of Malawi Chancellor College.
GoM (1998). Malawi decentralization policy.Lilongwe: Ministry of Local Government.
13.
Government of Malawi (1998). The local government act, No. 42 of 1998.Zomba: Government Press.
14.
GTZ (2005). A Strategy for capacity development for decentralization in Malawi. Report on phase 1: Capacity Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.jica.go.jp.
15.
HaddadW. (1995). Education policy-planning process: An applied framework.Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
16.
IMF (2012). Malawi: Poverty reduction strategy paper.Country report No. 12/222. Retrieved June 2014 from http://www.imf.org.
International Bureau of Education (2010). World data on education (7th edition). Retrieved from http://www.ibe.unesco.org.
19.
JageroN., AgakJ., and AyodoT. (2010). An evaluation of home environment factors affecting performance of boarding secondary school pupils in Kenya.Analytical Reports in International Education, 3(1), 47–62.
20.
JageroN., KwandayiH. H., & LongweA. (2014). Challenges of decentralization in Malawi.International Journal of Management Sciences, 2(7), 315–322.
21.
JuttingJ., CorsiE., & StockmayerA. (2005). Decentralization and poverty reduction.OECD development centre policy insights.Paris: OECD publishing.
22.
KadzamiraE., NtharaK., & KholowaF. (2004). Financing primary education for all: Malawi.Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
23.
KufaineN. D. (2008). Education decentralization in Malawi: Current trends and developments.M.Ed. Thesis. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand.
24.
Local Government Act (1998). The local government act.Lilongwe: Government of Malawi.
25.
MacJessie-MbeweS. (2002). An analysis of free primary education reform policy in Malawi.International Journal of Educational Reform, 11(2), 94–105.
26.
MacJessie-MbeweS. (2004). Rural communities-education relationship in developing countries: The case of Malawi.International Education Journal, 5(3). Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ903857.pdf.
27.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2001). Policy Investment Framework.Lilongwe: Government of Malawi.
28.
Ng'ambiF. (2010). Malawi: Effective delivery of public education services.Johannesburg: Compress.dsl.
29.
NutleyS. M., WalterI., & DaviesH. T. O. (2007). Using evidence: How research can inform public services.Policy press
Prud'hommeR. (2010). Decentralization in Malawi: An overview. Retrieved from http://www.rprudhomme.com.
32.
SalamonM. L. (2002). The new governance and the tools of public action: An introduction. In SalamonL. M. (Ed.), The tools of government: A guide to the new governance (pp. 1–47). New York, NY: Oxford University press.
33.
The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi Act (1995). The constitution of the Republic of Malawi.Lilongwe: Government of Malawi.
