Is JB and BM two sides of the same coin?

BM was so appealing to the grass roots, so is JB. BM was comfortable with people of all class and mainly the grass roots. BM was genuinely compassionate and free-giving, so is JB. BM had a sense of humour, so does JB.

The difference perhaps as is the case with a coin is that JB may be “Heads” and BM probably “tails”. That is not to say one can decide in a coin that Heads is better than tails or vice versa. The difference between Heads and Tails is that when tossing a coin, one is made to choose the different sides. For the purpose of this story, let us say JB is Heads and BM is tails.

Let us start from premise of why the two are two sides of same coin apart from similarities described above. Both JB and BM emerged soon after the country was governed by “the so called” educated elites who looked down upon Malawians. Whereas HKB repeatedly reminded us how he found us “literally naked”, B”W”M has questioned the shallow thinking of Malawians and organised lectures to remove our ignorance. Both HKB and BMW ruled with a “know it all” attitude and never tolerated criticism and those that criticised where either fed to crocodiles or smoked out! HKB and BWM both lived a “life of pomp”, swimming in luxury.

BM had to emerge out of shadows of HKB and no wonder when I visited Sanjika Palace for the first time in 1997, standards had gone down considerably. A waiter serving luncheon attended by over 100 people including visiting Asian business captains had “mamina” (mucus) nearly defying gravity and dropping into the bowl of beef curry he was serving. Esteemed senior UDF’ers sitting next to me sent him packing.
If JB were to win the next elections, she would emerge and try to take over from King of Ndata and as a “mandasi woman” she will be trying to fit into the big boots whilst selling mandasi.

Well. As Malawians we have to continue experimenting. I believe that as a Malawian who is past his life expectancy, I would rather choose Heads over tails. Yes I like mandasi, but that is not the reason why I would choose Heads. I believe in JB not because I think she will be a saviour but because she will make a better President than BM or BWM. JB is self-made and ambitious. She will however re-write Malawi’s and SADC’s history by becoming the first female President in Malawi and SADC. She will pay special attention to “tomato” and “mandasi” sellers. She will dedicate her energies to education and business growth. She will provide a platform for team work. She will provide Malawians with warmth in her “Chi Joyce Banda”.

But, here is caution to the “Heads” I have picked. This will only be possible if those in PP are able to establish a governance structure that will not make her “King” or “Queen” of Mandasi Sellers. There will be a need for a PP governance structure where party (PP) will not be synonymous to JB and vice-versa. I can only hope that PP will be the first party that will introduce decentralisation that will make the grass root make more decisions regarding their political and economic lives.
Is JB ready to lead Malawi? I want to believe that she is more than ready. Her interview with Brian Banda was impressive. If what she says is what she believes in, then we have a gem that will make us shine. I am aware that when she was Foreign Minister, one of her weaknesses was yielding to Peter Muthalika who took centre stage in international meetings despite being a mere Adviser. Perhaps as she showed during Brian Banda’s interview, at times being humble and respectful is no weakness.

I however doubt if people surrounding her are ready to support and create the first successful female President of Malawi. I doubt that they share her vision and her outlook to life. I however agree with her on her take on the so called recycled politicians. They are first and for most Malawians. One would ask, what is the difference between the current Cabinet and BM’s cabinet? I would say the only difference is that they fear BWM than they feared BM, otherwise most remain opportunists. How I wished JB teamed up with the recent DPP “fall out” DP.

When I was in Malawi soon after 20/7, the overwhelming message I got was, Let us support JB. My cry is, “let us help build PP into a modern party that will introduce civilised and professional politics”. Then other parties may emulate what it takes to run a professional party. Imagine MCP being democratic!

The Presidency is for JB to lose. Perhaps the magic is in the “Chi Joyce Banda”. Ife ndiye Tatopa!.

Malawi TenderPreneurs ...HAKE! Kasi ndi LUTING'I IYI (Is it Looting)

Malawi TenderPreneurs ...HAKE! Kasi ndi  LUTING'I IYI  (Is it Looting?)

It amazes me when guns go out blazing from the "holier than thou" DPP leadership calling Malawians "thugs and looters" following the July 20 demonstrations!  Agreed, there is no justification for lawlessness and looting during such demonstrations,  but hey, do not throw stones when you live in a glass house.

When I read South African papers about the bad boy Julius Malema and his $16 million mansion with a bunker built from a US$13,000 monthly salary, I suddenly realised that this new breed of business persons rightly called TenderPreneurs are killing Africa.  Malawi has it's share of TenderPreneurs.

These TenderPreneurs (TEPs)  have enriched themselves over the last couple of years under  DPP  Government and every single day new TEPs are emerging. TEPs emerge because political leadership need "hero worshippers" or "praise singers" who have no time to question bad policies or bad governance. They hate the country and simply love themselves. They care less of a girl from Mbwindi village who at tender age of 3, barefoot, if lucky, has one meal a day, has to help her widowed mother dig mice and carry carry out household chores instead of being in school?  

In the current Malawi, it is common knowledge that Lucrative contracts are given to political loyalists, tribal affiliates and family members who overnight become rich (not wealthy) and with their briefcases full of new business cards go around the world claiming to be Malawian business elites! Remember, We had them during MCP and UDF regimes. Interestingly, many of the previous TEPs finally know where to find a shoe repairer and those posh cars have but disappeared.

Well, one would ask, what is wrong with rational beings grabbing opportunities? What is wrong is that TEPs and their promoters are simply looters. Think about it. These loyalists and those in leadership positions have been looting the public coffers willy nilly over the last couple of years with dubious businesses and projects.  When they wake up in the morning, it is always about what else is available for free? 24/7 they loot and loot and loot, scheme new ways of grabbing public resources. They are simply LOOTERS.    They   are not ashamed to show off their newly acquired riches, building obscene houses and multiple "White elephants" that would make the truly  wealthy beings wonder and blush. Their newly acquired riches makes them arrogant and in their minds they believe that they have done what Napoleon could not do. They grab whatever comes into their way, be it wives or contracts or properties? 

Now, here is the irony.  A simple Kawale-man, chihoro-man, mbayani-man, double-bend man, out of anger and the long-suffering due to lack of jobs and other economic opportunities joins a protest march. In the process, as they pass the high street, someone shouts, "the shop belongs to a TEPs. The marchers to pounce on the shop and help themselves to a few drugs, some bread, toothpaste, cement, sobo, blankets etc and ... Guess Who throws the first stone?  The same TenderPreneurs , the same looters, the same so called leaders who have milked us clean as we watched!

 July 20 was about the fight against systems that TenderPreneurs and LOOTERS have built to sustain their newly found lifestyle. They even wonder why car-less povos  complain about lack of fuel or black-outs when they have no electricity in their homes.

As Malawians prepare for August 17, let us show the TEPs that we are not like them. We are a breed that is preparing for a better Malawi, where there will be no place for " LOOTERS In Leadership.

Africa, Mindset, Development and Doctors

You may have noticed that I said “AFRICA” and not “AFRICANS”. This is deliberate because it is Africa that needs to be developed and it is African Doctors working in Africa that need change in mindset. Africans are as exposed as anyone in the world. With globalisation, knowledge is no longer a scarce resource. However, many doctors living in an African environment operate as if knowledge is very scarce.

There are so many things one takes for granted living in a western country like the United Kingdom. For example, when I go to see my doctor (here in UK referred as GP), one thing that strikes me is that he/she has a computer right there and a pile of books. Once or twice he/she goes on-line to check for something or refers to the books. I have therefore made it a habit that before I go and see my GP, I “Google” and try to understand what I may be suffering from. This helps me ask relevant questions. Turn the page and go to Malawi or Zambia (where I lived for 4 years). Apart from papers and some books on the desk, doctors have no computers and probably have no access to internet in their offices.

In my first early history lessons, I learnt about the different types of history which included “written and remembered” history. It seems our medical personnel in Africa prefer to use remembered history and find “written history” either a nuisance or unnecessary. As someone once said, “If you want to hide anything from an African, put it in a book”. It seems this is true for our medical personnel. My wife once had a gynaecological problem and a doctor in Zambia after one visitation and a scan boldly said, “I have to remove your uterus”. The reason was simple. My wife had confirmed that we did not intend to have any more children. Therefore removing her uterus was, to the doctor, the best solution. If this surgeon had read new medical findings he would have known that removing uterus is only recommended when the condition is life threatening. The reason might be that a woman’s body minus the uterus could bring other complications or imbalances. When the doctor was asked when he could perform the operation, he quickly said, "If you want, tomorrow"! Was motivation money? I am glad we went and read and consulted. We flew to South Africa, and my wife still has her uterus!

I had surgery in 1995 in the USA to remove a duodenal ulcer. Years later, in 2007, as I advised a friend with ulcers in Malawi, he was not even aware (nor his Doctor) that nowadays anti-biotics are part of ulcer treatment. In 1982 two Australian scientists, Robin Warren and Barry Marshall showed the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (now known as H. Pylori in medical field) plays a key role in the development of both stomach and intestinal ulcers. They were eventually awarded a Nobel Prize for medicine in 2005.

A friend recently shared a story of how three different doctors in an African country kept giving her antibiotics for over a year and told her that it was a gynaecological problem. The diagnosis after more than 3 scans kept changing. The last time she was told that the doctor would open her up to see what the problem was! She decided to go to South Africa and within a day, it was discovered that she had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Google it if you want to know IBS. Imagine the trauma of being opened and being told that it was IBS and closed again.

This may look simple, but imagine the loss of life as a result of poor diagnosis, money spent on irrelevant drugs, time spent going and visiting doctors, resources used to go for medical treatment in South Africa etc etc. This all adds up and continue making our health systems expensive and strained. Yet we have qualified and competent personnel. It only takes a change of mindset to reverse this trend. Doctors have to start reading. Doctors have to be innovative. Medical practice is only for those that understand that the world is changing on a daily basis and they have to keep in touch with the changing world.

Perhaps Doctor should only be given a licence to practice if they have access to internet and subscribe to modern journals, and perhaps they should go for exams every two years. This however means in countries like Malawi, Internet infrastructure should be made available and affordable. Doctors can send patients’ scans abroad by email to get a second opinion before giving a diagnosis. This try and error method is a disaster.

If I was Malawi Government...I would not deliberately create rebels

If I was Malawi Government, I would make “Rhoda Nyirenda” my star and model student of the year. I would ensure that the country does not lose or waste Rhoda Nyirenda’s brains. I would live to my pronouncement of promoting women’s emancipation – and that I believe that the world would be a better place if Governments educated women. I would show that I can lead Africa by example.

If only I was Malawi Government, I would ensure that Rhoda Nyirenda does not suffer discrimination. I would parade and showcase her to Malawian girls as a living example of what a girl is capable of achieving.

If I was Malawi Government, I would desist from creating a rebellious Rhoda Nyirenda. I would reward her for her hard work rather than punish and discourage her. I would desist from making her lose her confidence and think she is not good enough for Malawian Universities. I would surely desist from making her think she is less Malawian that everyone else. I would protect her and ensure that she does not become vulnerable to the world’s evils and eventually end up as a “teenage mother”.

If I was Malawi Government, I would, by any means necessary give Rhoda Nyirenda the opportunity and support to continue her education and excel in a career that would help in Malawi’s development. I would call upon all well wishers to support Rhoda Nyirenda and all other deserving students to pursue their university studies.

If I was Malawi Government, I would ensure I find resources and place all the 207 (+) deserving students in higher education either in Malawi or neighbouring countries or postpone their entry into the University until later when I have created capacity to offer them education they deserve.

Unfortunately I am not Malawi Government.

I can only pray that Rhoda Nyirenda and all those deserving students irrespective of their tribal affiliation do not become rebels. They deserve better. So does Malawi!

Silent Night...But Busy Night for the Inn Keeper

Once upon a time, two thousand years ago, a certain business tycoon and his wife decided to turn their humble home into an Inn. Perhaps they wanted to make a few pennies or maybe they realised it was time they made use of empty space left behind by their absent and older children. Unfortunately, business was poor and the long-awaited full occupancy of their inn would keep them waiting just a little longer.

One day, this all changed very suddenly with the Government’s call for an immediate census. It seemed luck was finally on their side! Together, the eagerly anticipated the mass influx of guests who would soon travel hundreds of miles to get themselves registered in their hometown. What the Inn-keeper and his wife had not anticipated, however, was the exceptionally bitter cold and harsh winter that year which had left many desperate for a room, even if it meant sharing.

On one particularly cold and busy day, the Inn-Keeper and his wife would experience a very late night indeed. The pub was full and orders for drinks kept coming. Residents, as well as travelling passers-by trying to down one more beer for the road, kept the Inn-Keeper’s wife occupied until late into the night. Desperate to lock up and end their prolonged shift, the couple eventually managed to push out the last drunkard and finally went to bed.

However, this would not be the end of their hectic day. The travellers, all eager to find a warm, cosy bed, continued to pour in with their donkeys and their children and their luggage. Slightly overwhelmed with his flourishing business, the inn-keeper got to work on a sign which read ‘FULL. NO ROOM IN THE INN’ and returned to his own warm, cosy bed. Just as their eyes were shutting and their sleep deepening, the couple heard loud and desperate knocks on their door. The inn-keeper instinctively ignored the banging and waited for it to stop. However, the knocking became louder and louder to the point where the inn-keeper could ignore it no more.
Afraid that this unwanted visitor would wake the guests up, he briskly ran down the stairs and upon opening the door witnessed an unexpected sight. He ran his eyes up and down the bulky-looking man named Joseph and immediately decided that this man, whoever he was, certainly needed a shave. A dim lamp in the frosty, dark background revealed that this man also had a donkey and that on this donkey lay a visibly tired, but heavily pregnant lady.

With a large lump beginning to form in his throat, the inn-keeper hesitantly pointed at his well-decorated sign hanging at a slightly odd angle but nevertheless clearly visible to all. But as he lifted his finger, he noticed Joseph’s frantic gaze towards the sign and back down to his wife, Mary, who was now breathing very heavily. She looked into the inn-keeper’s eyes and his heart melted on that cold, wintry night. He knew he had to help these people. Suddenly feeling ashamed, he decided that he could not turn them away. However, the inn-keeper soon realised that this decision would bring many more questions and no clear solutions. With no spare rooms, where would he put this couple? What would he feed their donkey? How would he explain this to his wife? In that moment, as if instinctively, the donkey led Mary and Joseph into the barn having smelt fresh hay. Well, it was warmer in there, even if it was a bit smelly, thought the inn-keeper. He was sure the stable would provide some shelter that was comfortable enough for Mary and Joseph.

The warm glow on Joseph’s face was enough to show the Inn Keeper his gratitude. Upon discovering that Mary’s waters had broken, the inn-keeper ran down the paved street, bringing back with him the local village midwife. After shaking hands with Joseph once more, the inn-keeper finally returned to his snoring wife and went back to sleep in a lighter mood. Just as his eyes were shutting and his sleep deepening, the inn-keeper heard a louder and even more desperate knock on the door. The inn-keeper instinctively ignored the banging and waited for it to stop. However, the knocking became louder and louder to the point where the inn-keeper could ignore it no more.

Reluctantly but fearful that the other guests would surely wake up this time, he got out of bed and opened the front door to find shepherds. He ran his eyes up and down the group, deciding that this lot certainly needed a shower. As the inn-keeper furiously lifted a finger towards the sign on the door, the Shepherds stopped him before he could speak. The leading shepherd explained how a host of angels had appeared and told them the good news about the baby Jesus who could be found inside that very inn. The Inn Keeper scratched his head briefly before remembering the unshaven husband, his pregnant wife and their donkey. He led the shepherds to the barn where they all saw that indeed Mary had a baby boy named Jesus in her arms. Bowing down, the Shepherds praised and worshipped God for the baby. Watching them were the proud parents, Mary and Joseph, the inn-keeper and his wife who had now appeared on to the scene. The leading shepherd took the baby in his arms and standing still, took in the moment. He leaned in to kiss the baby and was suddenly interrupted by the inn-keeper’s wife who, now wide awake, protested in the fear of any potential infection of the baby Jesus.

During the early hours of the morning the inn-keeper and his wife finally returned to bed in a much lighter mood. Just as his eyes were shutting and his sleep deepening, the inn-keeper’s wife began to nudge her husband desperately. He instinctively ignored this additional disturbance to his sleep and waited patiently, hoping it would stop. However, the nudging became even more persistent to the point where he could ignore his wife no more. What was it now, he wondered?
“That little boy looks nothing like his father. Do you think that woman cheated on her husband”? Before Joseph had thought of a response, a bright light appeared and shone right into their bedroom window. Half afraid of the guests complaining and half wondering where the light was coming from, the inn-keeper and his wife got out of bed again. Upon opening the front door, they found three strange-looking men conspicuously dressed in eastern attire. As the inn-keeper, now aggravated, furiously called out to them and began to lift a finger towards the sign on the door, the three men stopped him before he could speak. They recalled how they had been following a star from the East. A star that they believed was a symbol of birth of Christ. Looking up into the dark, winter sky, the inn-keeper’s wife let out a gasp when they discovered that the bright light hung directly above their barn. The inn-keeper and his wife led the men to the barn and watched in wonder and in awe as the three men lay expensive gifts by the baby before leaving in the same dignified manner that they had appeared.

Returning to their bedroom more puzzled than ever, the couple made a conscious effort to fall asleep. However, they eyes would not shut and their sleep would not deepen. A series of questions ran through their minds. Who was this baby? Could he really be the messiah? How was it possible that none of the lodgers in the inn had been disturbed by the endless knocking, running up and down the stairs and the sounds of the three men’s camels? Left, with many more questions than answers, the inn-keeper and his wife instinctively got out of bed again early in the morning to resume business as normal.

This is the Christmas story. It tells us of the humbleness of God and that he appears to us in very extraordinary circumstances. Who would have thought that Jesus Christ, the son of God, would be born in a manger inside a village barn, surrounded by animals and located behind a local pub in an Inn? On that cold, wintry night, the inn-keeper and his wife not only received a record amount of guests but they received and hosted the son of God.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember and pray for our brothers and sisters in Karonga, Malawi who are in dire need of assistance as a result of two massive earthquakes during the month of December. Let us pray that they should not forget that it is Christmas.



Merry Christmas from Mkandawires in Watford, UK
Watipaso, Francisca, Mopani, Vinjeru, Watipaso Jnr and Sambiro

Throwing the Baby out with the Bath Water:

Throwing the Baby out with the Bath Water:
Malawi School Closure

Come December 7 2009, there might be chaos and panic amongst thousands of Malawian families. The day marks the opening of new school calendar year and some parents have found out that their children have no school. What is the reason? The Ministry of Education closed down a number of private schools in Malawi that had been found as not in shape to operate as private schools. The blame game starts. Is it Bingu? Is it Bakili? Is it Kamuzu? Is it Mzuzu Corner? Is it Diaspora rhetoric? Well, I would blame Malawi and Malawians and let us all stand and be counted to resolve the challenge.

Well, let us start from why private schools mushroomed. First with population growth, more schools were needed. Second, with free primary education introduced in 1994, even more schools and teachers were needed. The 1994 policy of free education produced a wonderful opportunity for new line of business. Never before had an opportunity arisen to commercialise education. Business in many parts of the world including Malawi is copy-cat. Thus private education movement was born. Former night clubs and taverns, Crop warehouses, private homes and shops overnight became schools in urban and semi urban areas. Those audacious enough built new structures.

Perhaps what was not questioned was the capacity available to run and manage these schools, the health and safety of the structures and the education standards. 15 years later, Government decides that the cancer has to be stopped from spreading and rightly so. Perhaps many of our young persons who joined education stream in mid 1990s have had their future destroyed because of poor education foundation. Perhaps most private school owners paid more attention to their rightful need for profit and neglected the services being provided. Conceivably the regulatory regime was not ready to manage the new industry. The cancer therefore has to be stopped from spreading.

Stopping the cancer from spreading is not easy as we all know. If Doctors decided that the best way to relieve cancer patients is just to take away their lives, everyone will scream, Murderers! I believe there is a better way of stopping the cancer from spreading. Here are a few thoughts. The first step is to set minimum standards of what an education facility should have, which I believe the Ministry has done. This should set standards for facilities, qualification of teachers, curriculum, pupil-teacher ratio, health and safety etc. The second step is to benchmark all education facilities against these standards. The third step is to decide which of the education facilities could be improved with owners’ investment, which ones could be improved with Government intervention and which ones are beyond redemption.

For the facilities that require investment (either public or private), a discussion/negotiations should be held with owners. The Government should negotiate for credit facilities (soft loans) to support the investment requirements and Government should be party to the loan agreement to ensure the resources are used for the intended purpose. The Government could also introduce mobile training for the unqualified teachers and school managers.

For those that are beyond redemption a further thought should be taken regarding what should happen to the students when the facility is closed. This is important as education is a right and to have thousands of children out of school and no one is fending for them is inhuman and criminal. A similar consideration should be given to the other two categories. It is most likely that the existing Government education facilities cannot take over all the pupils and students that are out of schools as a result of closure.

If such consideration had been given, perhaps some schools could have been saved through a public-private sector or private-private partnerships and quick investment could have been made.

What is clear is that in throwing out the dirty bath water, the Government has thrown out the baby as well and innocent children will in the next months be denied the right to education.

For transparency and as way forward, The Ministry of Education should publish the School Closure Report so that parents, students and interested public may know the reasons for closure of each facility and what recommendations have been made for the owners to redress. Perhaps certain schools could be redeemed by communities that have been affected.

If I was a Country called Malawi......

Statistics and Tertiary Education

A guy called Mark Twain claimed that Benjamin Disraeli once said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics”. With that in mind, I browsed through the education statistics documented by UNESCO. The statistics provide very elaborate information that I am sure countries use to determine public policy as well as public expenditure. For example, the statistics ranks the various countries in different categories and policy makers can learn best practices from countries that are doing well and successful. Statistics however, may not tell the whole story. Aaron Levenstein once said, “Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” One needs to go beyond the statistics and look at the impact on the ground. But for now, here are the statistics:

TERTIARY EDUCATION

Malawi is ranked last in the world (No. 150) together with Vanuatu. Malawi’s total tertiary enrolment rate is 0.3% (about 4,500 students). Compare this with Burundi (12,000) Rwanda (20,000); Zambia 25,000; Zimbabwe (56,000); Uganda (74,000); Libya (375,000).

Not encouraging. I then went to the next table. I was excited when I saw Malawi right at the top! Number 2! Yes, Malawi ranks second in the world (Vanuatu is ranked first) in terms of public spending per student at tertiary level. Tertiary education gets 18% out of the education budget and with this Malawi spends $1,492 per student (MK208000). Is this good news? Well if you spend so much money on a small fraction of your population, when same money can be spread to more people, it is not good news. The lowest ranked on the chart, is Brunei that spends US$8.5 per student. Namibia spends US$147 and South Africa, US$61.

For argument’s sake, let us assume Malawi adopts best practices and reduces public spending per student at tertiary level to US$500 per student. With the same budget, we could easily triple the enrolment from 4500 to 13,500 students. If we learnt from Zambia who, allocate US$330 per student per year from public coffers, we could increase the number of students to 22,000! Is this rocket science? Talking about budgets, a guy called Russell Lewis tells the following story:

“Give us a copper Guv," said the beggar to the Treasury statistician when he waylaid him in Parliament square. "I haven't eaten for three days."
"Ah," said the statistician, "And how does that compare with the same period last year?"

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Vocational education has never been given the priority it deserves in Malawi. Compare this to countries like Ethiopia, Cameroon , Canada, Libya, Israel South Africa, who have student enrolment of between 100,000 – 400,000 students. The graduates from these vocational schools form your artisan group of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. Malawi is reported to have an enrolment of less than 800 students (even lower than Seychelles a country of 88,000 people).

Robert Hayden was probably right when he said “In God we trust. All others must bring data”. Given the statistics and the opportunities that Malawi has (i.e.
Malawi is already spending too much money per student) where should our priorities be? I believe that our priority should be in tackling two issues. First, at a stroke of a pen, initially increasing University enrolment at least threefold (from 4500 to 13,000) and increasing vocational enrolment to 10,000 in the next 5 years. This is still small considering that you have 50,000 students finishing form 4 every year. But the change would mean that the University can absorb more that (80-90%) of MSCE qualifying students (currently the figure is only 25%). This will require a complete change in university financing system including amount of tuition and fees students will be expected to pay. All logistics of managing University will have to be contracted out and University should no longer be involved in providing accommodation, food etc. University’s role should only be teaching. Providers of accommodation will only guarantee campus space to first year students. From second year, students should, at their expense (others will get scholarships) stay outside campus. The change however should ensure disadvantaged students and those from social and economically deprived families have access to government scholarships.

Secondly, Government will have to review capacities of schools that have been producing poor results and schools in disadvantaged areas. Deliberate policy should be made to direct public investment into these areas to capacitate the schools. Probably for the next 5 years, donor support should be directed towards human capacity (i.e. teachers, learning material and lecturers) to support the programme.