THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 50/50 FORM ONE SELECTION POLICY ACHIEVES GENDER PARITY AT MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS COMPLETION: A CASE STUDY OF SOUTH EAST EDUCATION DIVISION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore whether the 50/50 form one selection policy in District Day Secondary School (DDSS) and Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) achieves gender parity in secondary school completion rates. Specifically, this study compared MSCE completion rates in DDSS and CDSS by gender, gender and school type (DDSS / CDSS) and by gender and school location (urban / rural). The study was conducted in view of the need for Malawi to check her stand on elimination of gender inequalities in education in respect of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) number 3 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 4 and 5. SDG number 4 obliges member countries to achieve quality education by 2030. This study used quantitative data obtained from 2009 form one selection lists of sampled schools. The results show that gender parity was not attained at form one selection in sampled DDSS. The results also show that gender parity in secondary school completion was not attained in the 2009 cohort at 2012 MSCE in South East Education Division (SEED). Boys‟ mean secondary school completion rate of all sampled schools (66.3%) was higher than that of girls (58.4%) in the same schools. This study also found that mean MSCE completion gender disparity was very narrow in urban schools (2.5%) compared to that of rural schools (12.1%). The findings indicate a need for more qualitative strategies to support the implementation of the 50/50 form one selection policy to ensure gender parity at MSCE completion.