Improving Learning at Scale
Through BEFIT, the Government of Malawi has committed to improving the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of all learners in Standards 1-4. The tablet-based foundational learning program will serve every school district in Malawi and reach 3.8 million students per year at scale.
Malawi is one of the first nations to scale a digital personalized learning solution countrywide. BEFIT will serve millions of children in Malawi and create a roadmap for other countries to follow.
BEFIT At-A-Glance
Leadership
BEFIT is led by the Malawi Directorate of Open Distance and eLearning (DODeL) and the Directorate of Basic Education (DBE) and coordinated through a Program Implementation and Management Unit
Evidence
The model has already been successfully implemented in over 250 schools across Malawi since 2014, serving more than 225,000 children, and multiple rigorous studies have shown consistent and strong learning gains in literacy and numeracy
Equity
BEFIT will be rolled out in every school district across Malawi, beginning with 250,000 students across 500 schools by the end of the 2023-2024 school year and reaching more than 3.8mm students annually at full scale
Alignment
Adaptive learning software from onebillion offers a full foundational literacy/numeracy curriculum in Chichewa, aligned with the national curriculum
Teacher Support
Learning software supplements and reinforces teacher instruction, freeing teacher time for other critical tasks
Personalization
Students learn independently using computer tablets (each used by an average of five students per day for 30-60 mins each)
Solar Power
Tablets work offline and offgrid (solar-charged) and BEFIT will establish solar power systems in all primary schools in Malawi, providing renewable energy for 20+ years
Community
Projects strengthen community ICT infrastructure, stimulating future innovations and providing renewable energy to communities
Testimonials
“I am very happy about the tablet session. I know how to connect headsets and tablets, and how to switch them on. On the tablet, I learn addition, reading, and writing.”
Testimonials
“I am really happy and excited about this program because it is complementing what I teach during my lessons, especially in a resource-constrained environment.”
Testimonials
“Sub-Saharan Africa’s learning poverty rate of 90% is expected to increase post-pandemic. Malawi is set on a path to alleviate this by pursuing a Five Strand Education Foundations Strategy catalyzed by digitalization. BEFIT is a spotlight program that is leapfrogging towards improved literacy and numeracy through technology.”