About - befit.education.gov .mw

Background

Malawi successfully introduced free primary education in 1994, which has significantly improved access to primary education. However, the country still faces a high learning poverty rate of 87% and there is a pressing need for innovative and transformative approaches to providing foundational education to meet national goals. The task at hand is to make meaningful and effective learning happen.

The BEFIT Solution

Through BEFIT, the Government of Malawi has committed to improve the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of all learners in standards 1-4. BEFIT is massively scalable, evidence-based, and closely aligned with Malawi’s official vision plan which focuses on foundational learning for youth and digital skill development for students and teachers.

BEFIT will serve 3.8 million children across 6,000 public primary schools per year at scale

BEFIT is led by the government and supported by a consortium of partners, including Imagine Worldwide, onebillion, VSO and others

BEFIT is embedded within the national curriculum and school timetables and supplements teacher instruction

BEFIT introduces solar power, provides ICT training, upskills communities, and catalyzes job creation

BEFIT will be fully sustained by the government, operationally and financially, post implementation phase

An Innovative Edtech Intervention

Child-directed, adaptive learning is delivered to the student on a tablet as part of the school timetable and using lessons that are aligned to the national curriculum. The software is in Chichewa and English and supplements existing teacher-led instruction. Each durable tablet is used by an average of five students for an hour each per day. The model has been successful in pilot programs across Malawi because of its accessibility, efficacy, and affordability.

ACCESS

Tablets work without internet or grid power. Learning is at the right level for each child.

EFFICACY

Software provides a complete, evidence-based curriculum/pedagogy and has consistently shown strong learning gains.

AFFORDABILITY

Attractive unit-level costs of <$7 per child/year that continue to decline with economies of scale.

BEFIT is among the top Priority Programs highlighted by Malawi’s National Planning Commission

Timeline

Year	% of schools served	Learners served	Teachers trained/ year	Schools/ solar installations
Sept 2023	8.3%	300,000	5,400	500
Sept 2024	17%	600,000	5,400	500
Sept 2025	36%	1,369,179	12,528	1,160
Sept 2026	55%	2,103,459	12,528	1,160
Sept 2027	75%	2,837,739	12,528	1,160
Sept 2028	100%	3,798,000	16,383	1,520
Sept 2029	100% (6,000 schools)	15,210,000 (cumulative)	All BEFIT teachers trained	All schools electrified