The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has recognized the importance of English in developing a healthy and thriving workforce. Peace Corps Malawi supports the Ministry’s efforts by providing English teachers to improve the foundational skills of students at the community day secondary school level through supporting the use of academic English, literacy skills and critical thinking, to improve performance across content areas from the English classroom.
In Malawi, Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs) are community-established schools that operate under an education division office decentralized from the Ministry of Edcation Science and Technology. The majority of students in secondary school in Malawi attend CDSSs. Students enter with low proficiency in academic English which is the language of instruction in all content areas.
Below are the primary goals of the Education project:
•Students in Community Day Secondary Schools will develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis, and improve their knowledge and skills in to meet the requirements of the national syllabus.
•Support gender equity, girls’ empowerment and inclusion at the classroom, school and community level.
•Increase students’ opportunities for enrichment through extra-curricular activities and or access to resources such as library or hands on materials.
The Malawian school week is Monday through Friday; Volunteers are expected to function as members of the faculty to their assigned school and will be required to attend school five days each week.Teachers will typically teach 15-20 hours a week in addition to classroom preparation or grading time.
Through activities such as malaria and HIV prevention and awareness, girls empowerment clubs, school gardens, grassroots soccer, students can be encouraged to become involved in their community and bring their learning back to the classroom. These programs can be run during school holidays and summer vacation from July to September. Volunteers are expected to create community activities that continue to engage students and out of school youth during the summer vacation. This is part of your primary assignment and you can organize hands on activities and projects.
Some Volunteers may be selected to participate in Pre-Service Training sessions during the summer. You will be asked to submit not only a vacation plan but also a work plan for summer projects.
The resources you will have available through the school will be limited. Your own creativity and resourcefulness will be important tools in helping you work effectively with locally available resources and materials. Although you will follow the Ministry's curriculum, you will be expected to develop your own schemes of work and supplementary materials including visual aids, worksheets, etc.
Malawi is actively engaged in the Let Girls Learn initiative, an important initiative promoting gender awareness about girls’ education and empowerment. During your service, you will receive in-depth training on incorporating strategies and methods of gender awareness and equitable practices in the classroom and community. You will have opportunities to develop culturally appropriate programs and strategies to encourage and support girls so that they stay in school. As part of the initiative, you will also report on the impact of these efforts.
In Malawi, Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs) are community-established schools that operate under an education division office decentralized from the Ministry of Edcation Science and Technology. The majority of students in secondary school in Malawi attend CDSSs. Students enter with low proficiency in academic English which is the language of instruction in all content areas.
Below are the primary goals of the Education project:
•Students in Community Day Secondary Schools will develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis, and improve their knowledge and skills in to meet the requirements of the national syllabus.
•Support gender equity, girls’ empowerment and inclusion at the classroom, school and community level.
•Increase students’ opportunities for enrichment through extra-curricular activities and or access to resources such as library or hands on materials.
The Malawian school week is Monday through Friday; Volunteers are expected to function as members of the faculty to their assigned school and will be required to attend school five days each week.Teachers will typically teach 15-20 hours a week in addition to classroom preparation or grading time.
Through activities such as malaria and HIV prevention and awareness, girls empowerment clubs, school gardens, grassroots soccer, students can be encouraged to become involved in their community and bring their learning back to the classroom. These programs can be run during school holidays and summer vacation from July to September. Volunteers are expected to create community activities that continue to engage students and out of school youth during the summer vacation. This is part of your primary assignment and you can organize hands on activities and projects.
Some Volunteers may be selected to participate in Pre-Service Training sessions during the summer. You will be asked to submit not only a vacation plan but also a work plan for summer projects.
The resources you will have available through the school will be limited. Your own creativity and resourcefulness will be important tools in helping you work effectively with locally available resources and materials. Although you will follow the Ministry's curriculum, you will be expected to develop your own schemes of work and supplementary materials including visual aids, worksheets, etc.
Malawi is actively engaged in the Let Girls Learn initiative, an important initiative promoting gender awareness about girls’ education and empowerment. During your service, you will receive in-depth training on incorporating strategies and methods of gender awareness and equitable practices in the classroom and community. You will have opportunities to develop culturally appropriate programs and strategies to encourage and support girls so that they stay in school. As part of the initiative, you will also report on the impact of these efforts.
Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English.
Desired Skills
Previous experience mentoring and/or tutoring English language learners in schools or similar activities is desirable.
Strong communication, public speaking, and organizational skills are important.
Strong communication, public speaking, and organizational skills are important.
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. Please take a moment to explore the Language Comments section below to find out more on how local language(s) will be utilized during service.
Additional Language Information
•Trainees in this assignment will be trained in the local language used in their assignment area such as Chichewa or Chiyao languages (in the Central and South) and Chitumbuka, Lambya or Tonga languages (in the North)
•All volunteers are required to learn a local language and attain fluency level of Intermediate-Mid by the end of Pre-Service Training (PST). Midway through PST volunteers are given a mock language proficiency oral interview using the guidelines of American Council for Testing Foreign Languages to prepare for the final language proficiency interview towards the end of PST
•Continuing language support is provided at site through tutors and language skills are assessed at Mid- Service and Close of Service.
•All volunteers are required to learn a local language and attain fluency level of Intermediate-Mid by the end of Pre-Service Training (PST). Midway through PST volunteers are given a mock language proficiency oral interview using the guidelines of American Council for Testing Foreign Languages to prepare for the final language proficiency interview towards the end of PST
•Continuing language support is provided at site through tutors and language skills are assessed at Mid- Service and Close of Service.
Living Conditions
The Ministry of Education generally provides Volunteer housing, which is often located on the school grounds or close to the school. While most housing does not have running water and electricity, a few buildings will. Most schools in rural areas have limited infrastructure and teaching materials. Buildings may be dilapidated and there may be poor sanitation.
Students may not have books, school furniture may be in disrepair, and equipment may be limited. This is especially difficult for English teachers who may not have direct access to functioning libraries, text books or other reading materials yet they will be required to teach the same subject content as if they did have access to these resources. Teachers in Malawi must be creative and learn to improvise in order to be successful.
Many parts of Malawi enjoy mild weather due to its high elevation, although lower regions around the lake are usually 10-15 degrees hotter. The main roads connecting the larger cities and towns are very good. However, most Volunteers live a few kilometers or more off of the main roads. Peace Corps Malawi provides you will a bike to assist with daily routines. Your bike will be your main mode of transportation. However, in most areas, public transportation is also available.
Volunteers should be willing and able to live in rural and low resourced conditions. Cell phone coverage is improving throughout the country but remains inconsistent in some remote volunteers' sites. For charging phones, most villages have charging booths for a modest fee and solar chargers are becoming more common. If you are lucky, you can also get 3G internet connectivity at your site or your nearest trading center or town.
Peace Corps Malawi strives to create an inclusive environment for all. We support individuals from many different backgrounds and staff have been trained in diversity, inclusion and LGBT issues. LGBT applicants should be advised that the current Malawi cultural and legal norms do not support an open and transparent LGBT community.
Students may not have books, school furniture may be in disrepair, and equipment may be limited. This is especially difficult for English teachers who may not have direct access to functioning libraries, text books or other reading materials yet they will be required to teach the same subject content as if they did have access to these resources. Teachers in Malawi must be creative and learn to improvise in order to be successful.
Many parts of Malawi enjoy mild weather due to its high elevation, although lower regions around the lake are usually 10-15 degrees hotter. The main roads connecting the larger cities and towns are very good. However, most Volunteers live a few kilometers or more off of the main roads. Peace Corps Malawi provides you will a bike to assist with daily routines. Your bike will be your main mode of transportation. However, in most areas, public transportation is also available.
Volunteers should be willing and able to live in rural and low resourced conditions. Cell phone coverage is improving throughout the country but remains inconsistent in some remote volunteers' sites. For charging phones, most villages have charging booths for a modest fee and solar chargers are becoming more common. If you are lucky, you can also get 3G internet connectivity at your site or your nearest trading center or town.
Peace Corps Malawi strives to create an inclusive environment for all. We support individuals from many different backgrounds and staff have been trained in diversity, inclusion and LGBT issues. LGBT applicants should be advised that the current Malawi cultural and legal norms do not support an open and transparent LGBT community.
Medical Considerations in Malawi
- Malawi may not be able to support Volunteers with the following medical conditions: asthma, including mild or childhood; cardiology; dermatology; gastroenterology; some types of gynecologic support; insulin-dependent diabetes; mammography; ongoing behavioral health support; seizure disorder; urology.
- The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal, cultural or religious reasons: none identified.
- Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may not be able to serve: eggs and peanuts.
- After arrival in Malawi, Peace Corps provides and applicants are required to have an annual flu shot, to take daily or weekly medication to prevent malaria, and to receive mandatory immunizations.
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