The Arthur Peter Mutharika administration has disbursed MK19 billion under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) education bursary programme to councils across the country ahead of the reopening of schools this September.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Ben Phiri, MP for Thyolo Central, confirmed the development, saying the funds will enable needy and vulnerable students to access education bursaries in their respective districts and return to school on time.
The Minister said the bursaries are part of government’s commitment to promoting equitable access to education and easing the financial burden on vulnerable households.
The initiative adds to the government’s education interventions under President Mutharika, including the Free Primary Education programme introduced during his first administration, which removed tuition fees for learners in public primary schools.
Mutharika’s administration has also advanced the Free Secondary Education policy, aimed at removing tuition-fee barriers for learners in public secondary schools and making secondary education more accessible to Malawians, particularly children from economically disadvantaged households.
The latest MK19 billion CDF education bursary disbursement is therefore being presented as an additional intervention to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent needy students from accessing or continuing their education.
With schools set to reopen this September, government expects the timely availability of the bursaries to help eligible learners report to school on time and support families facing economic pressures.
Together, the free education initiatives and targeted bursary support form part of the administration’s broader effort to expand access to education, promote equal opportunities and reduce the cost of schooling for vulnerable Malawian families.
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