MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

What MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY does

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is the government ministry of Malawi responsible for public education policy, management, and development across all levels — from early childhood through higher education. It is headquartered at Capital Hill, Lilongwe, and operates through 16 directorates covering basic, secondary, higher, teacher, open-distance, and e-learning education, as well as ICT, science and technology, planning, quality assurance, inclusive education, finance, HR, procurement, and audit functions. The Ministry's mandate is to promote equitable access to quality learning for all learners in Malawi irrespective of background, with explicit focus on ending learning poverty, improving foundational literacy and numeracy, and increasing domestic investment in education.

The Ministry delivers services through a nationwide network of public schools, teacher training institutions, and the national examination system, alongside flagship programmes including BEFIT (Building Education Foundations through Innovation and Technology), MERP (Malawi Education Reform Programme), TaRL (Teaching at the Right Level), and the Free Secondary Education (FSE) policy. Its technology surface includes digital learning tools, the Maphunziro foundational learning platform, school connectivity infrastructure, programme dashboards, and the Education Services Portal. The Ministry cooperates with development partners such as UNICEF, World Vision Malawi, World Bicycle Relief, the African Union, ADEA, and the Kingdom of Morocco.

As a government ministry, the organisation does not generate commercial revenue. Education services are delivered free at the point of use, funded through the Malawi national budget and development partner contributions. Its customer base comprises more than six million children enrolled in primary schools, secondary learners, teachers, school management bodies, and parents/guardians. Its competitive position is structurally protected by its statutory mandate and monopoly on public education provision in Malawi.

Name

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Legal name

Ministry of Education Science and Technology

Website

https://education.gov.mw

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is the government of Malawi department that formulates and implements public education policy across all levels, serving more than six million primary learners through nationwide schools and active programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110), Administration of Education Programs (92311), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Federal Ministries & Departments of Education (EDADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB), State/Provincial Education Department Administration (BPAIABAJ), Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE), Learning Device Ecosystems & 1:1 Program Solutions (Devices, MDM, Charging) (EDAJAMAL)

Keywords

• Public education services
• Education policy management
• Teacher training programs
• School infrastructure development
• Curriculum development oversight

Headquarters

HQ city

Lilongwe

HQ country

Malawi

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology provides government-funded public education services across Malawi from early childhood through higher education. It develops and implements national education policy and curriculum, manages school infrastructure, administers the Free Secondary Education programme, runs education reform and foundational learning programmes (BEFIT, MERP, TaRL), and accredits and inspects educational institutions through 16 directorates and district education offices.

Product overview

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology operates a government services platform providing education across all levels in Malawi. The portfolio consists of active education programs (BEFIT, MERP, TaRL), the Free Secondary Education Policy, School Connectivity Infrastructure, and an Education Services Portal. These offerings work together to deliver foundational learning initiatives, education reform, teacher development, and digital infrastructure improvements across Malawi's education system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026Partner in hosting FLEX 2026 Africa Foundational Learning Exchange in Lilongwe, Malawi.
• UNICEF MalawicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2026UNICEF Country Representative Dr Penelope Campbell participated in Pre-FLEX discussions on evidence-based advocacy and increased public financing for foundational learning.
• World Vision MalawicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026World Vision Malawi donated 2,502 school desks valued at over K600 million to address classroom furniture shortage. Desks distributed to seven District Education Authorities (Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Mwanza, Machinga) and 25 primary schools. Partnership also covers foundational literacy and numeracy, teacher development, early childhood education, inclusive learning environments, education in emergencies, school sanitation and hygiene.
• Kingdom of Morocco (via AMCI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Government of Kingdom of Morocco offered 130 scholarships for 2026/2027 academic year through Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI). Distribution: 80 university education, 30 vocational training, 20 Southern Provinces Universities.
• World Bicycle ReliefcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Partnership to improve learners' access to schools across the country through provision of bicycles. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ministry and World Bicycle Relief to strengthen efforts to expand free secondary education.
• Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023FLEX (Foundational Learning Exchange) established in 2023 as the premier country-to-country peer learning platform across Africa dedicated to improving early-grade reading, mathematics, and socio-psychological skills. Co-hosted with African Union.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA): Continental education policy network that co-hosts FLEX 2026 with the Ministry. Comparable as the convening peer for foundational learning exchange and as a partner in cross-country policy benchmarking.
• UNESCO Education Sector: Sets global education standards and supports foundational learning initiatives in member states. Comparable as an international counterpart for curriculum frameworks, literacy/numeracy standards, and policy benchmarking relevant to the Ministry's mandate.
• World Bank Education Global Practice: Multilateral lender that finances education system reform projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable as a technical assistance and financing counterpart, and as a benchmark for reform program design (e.g., MERP-style system reform).
• UNICEF Education Programme: Global UN agency that co-funds foundational learning programs in Malawi. Comparable as a strategic partner and as a benchmark for evidence-based foundational learning programming in low-income contexts.

Regional players

• Ghana Education Service: West African public-sector agency implementing pre-tertiary education policy. Comparable in mandate (basic and secondary education delivery), though it operates in a different sub-region and is structured as a service rather than a ministry.

Broad incumbents

• Ministry of Education – Republic of Kenya: National ministry overseeing public education policy in Kenya with substantially larger scale and similar mandate structure. Comparable as a fellow East/Southern African government ministry managing curriculum, teacher development, and free education initiatives.
• Department of Basic Education – Republic of South Africa: South Africa's national department administering basic education with a much larger budget and workforce. Comparable as a public-sector education authority managing foundations, curriculum, and infrastructure in the same region.

Direct peers

• Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education – Republic of Zimbabwe: Regional peer ministry managing public basic and secondary education with similar curriculum review, examination, and teacher deployment responsibilities. Comparable in scale and budgetary constraints.
• Ministry of Education – Republic of Zambia: Neighboring Southern African ministry administering public education across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Highly comparable in scale, governance structure, and donor-dependence profile to the Malawi Ministry.
• Ministry of Education, Science and Technology – United Republic of Tanzania: Tanzania's national education ministry with an almost identical portfolio name and mandate covering basic, secondary, higher education, and science/technology policy. Closest direct comparator in terms of scope, structure, and regional free-education policy experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MalawiEducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ministry-of-education-science-and-technology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY