Education at What Price? A Study of Low Cost Private Education in Malawi

Abstract

Abstract With the shift to free primary education resulting in greater numbers of primary school graduates, Malawi has seen an increased demand for secondary education. Limited public resources, have forced Malawians to rely more heavily on private education and especially Low Fee Private (LFP) schools. The purpose of this research is to investigate the potential of LFP secondary schools within Malawi, through a qualitative study of four secondary schools, both public and private, within Lilongwe. This study concludes that, while significant growth of LFP schools in the future does not appear likely, the potential exists for LFP schools to improve in quality. It is important that improvements in school quality do not cause an increase in school fees and to this end schools should concentrate on improving discipline and increasing parental involvement while the government should foster greater cooperation with private schools.