Keypoints:
- Free primary and secondary schooling starts January 2026
- 200,000 metric tons of maize to ease hunger
- Mutharika vows inclusive national development
MALAWI’S President Peter Mutharika has announced that all primary and secondary education will be free from January 2026, a landmark policy to expand learning access and drive national development.
Speaking in Thyolo District on Sunday during the annual cultural festival of the Lhomwe people, Mutharika said the initiative would remove financial barriers that prevent many children, especially in rural areas, from completing their education.
‘Parents will now have no excuse for failing to send their children to school,’ he said. ‘We want our children to be educated because without education, there can be no development.’
Education experts in Lilongwe have welcomed the announcement, saying it could boost enrolment rates and improve literacy levels, but cautioned that the government must also invest in school infrastructure, teacher training, and classroom materials to ensure quality learning outcomes.
Government moves to tackle hunger crisis
Alongside his education pledge, President Mutharika announced emergency food support for over four million Malawians facing hunger. He revealed that the government is procuring 200,000 metric tons of maize from neighbouring Zambia to strengthen food supplies.
‘Everything is set,’ he said, adding that the Minister of Agriculture had travelled to Zambia to finalise the maize purchase. The move follows poor harvests caused by erratic rainfall and pest infestations that have left large parts of Malawi food-insecure.
Agricultural analysts say the maize importation could help stabilise market prices and prevent deeper food shortages. However, they urged the government to adopt longer-term solutions such as irrigation farming, better grain storage systems, and investments in climate-resilient agriculture.
Building a foundation for development
Mutharika, who was sworn in on October 4 as Malawi’s seventh president after winning the September 16 election, said education and food security would form the pillars of his administration’s development agenda.
‘This is a commitment to the future of Malawi,’ he told the crowd in Thyolo. ‘No child should be left behind.’
Observers say the twin initiatives—free education and food security—signal the president’s intention to address inequality and restore confidence in public institutions. As Malawi faces rising living costs and climate pressures, Mutharika’s reforms are seen as a crucial test of his leadership and political resolve.
