By Chisomo Phiri
Minister of Education Bright Msaka, SC, has reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to advancing research, innovation, and evidence-based policy development in the education sector.
Speaking during the official opening of the Conference on Mathematics, Science and Technology Educators in Africa (COMSTEDA 22), held under the theme ‘Reimagining STEM for a Pan-African Future: Bridging Education, Innovation, and Sustainable Development towards Agenda 2063’ on Tuesday,Msaka highlighted the administration’s determination to strengthen education as a driver of national development.
He said president Arthur Peter Mutharika firmly believes that education remains the cornerstone of human capital development and the foundation of Malawi’s economic transformation.
Msaka emphasized that the forthcoming curriculum reforms represent a bold and forward-looking shift towards making education more relevant, inclusive, and future-oriented.
He said the transition from an Outcome-Based Education (OBE) system to a Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework marks a significant paradigm shift aimed at equipping learners with practical skills for the 21st century.
In his remarks, Secretary for Education Ken Ndala described the conference as timely, noting that Malawi is currently revising curricula for primary, secondary, and teacher education levels.
He added that the deliberations from COMSTEDA 22 are expected to help shape an education system capable of producing a skilled and competitive workforce ready to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy.
On his part, President of Strengthening of Mathematics and Science Education in Africa (SMASE-Africa),Professor Benson Banda called for the decolonization of the Science, Technology , Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum.
He stressed the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge systems into teaching and learning to make education more relatable, empowering, and culturally grounded.
