Ministry of Education (MoE) Grant: Tisamale Mabuku Reading Material Management

Tisamale Mabuku “Let us take care of books” Project will support the Government of Malawi’s (GoM) Ministry of Education’s (MoE) implementation of the USAID/Malawi supported National Reading Program (NRP) by improving the capacity of school communities to ensure that intended NRP teaching and learning materials (TLMs) are available in their school and community, and are managed and used appropriately. NRP TLMs include English and Chichewa learner’s books and teacher’s guides in Standards 1-8; decodable, leveled, and supplementary readers; resources developed to support literacy development of learners with special educational needs; and any other related materials. Where they are present, this includes technology used to support children’s literacy acquisition, such as MSL video lessons or assistive devices for learners with disabilities (Braillers, Orbit readers, etc.) or tablets used to give children access to reading lessons and materials. The Government of Malawi struggles to allocate enough resources to supply sufficient TLMs, while issues with TLM management and utilization, such as premature wear, tear, and loss, mean that books need to be replaced more frequently than schools and the Ministry can currently manage. Other books are kept locked away from children and teachers. Improved management and utilization of TLMs in schools and communities will increase children’s access to TLMs and thereby contribute to improved literacy outcomes.

Tisamale Mabuku “Let us take care of books” Project will support the Government of Malawi’s (GoM) Ministry of Education’s (MoE) implementation of the USAID/Malawi supported National Reading Program (NRP) by improving the capacity of school communities to ensure that intended NRP teaching and learning materials (TLMs) are available in their school and community, and are managed and used appropriately. NRP TLMs include English and Chichewa learner’s books and teacher’s guides in Standards 1-8; decodable, leveled, and supplementary readers; resources developed to support literacy development of learners with special educational needs; and any other related materials. Where they are present, this includes technology used to support children’s literacy acquisition, such as MSL video lessons or assistive devices for learners with disabilities (Braillers, Orbit readers, etc.) or tablets used to give children access to reading lessons and materials. The Government of Malawi struggles to allocate enough resources to supply sufficient TLMs, while issues with TLM management and utilization, such as premature wear, tear, and loss, mean that books need to be replaced more frequently than schools and the Ministry can currently manage. Other books are kept locked away from children and teachers. Improved management and utilization of TLMs in schools and communities will increase children’s access to TLMs and thereby contribute to improved literacy outcomes.