Monthly Update From the Field: August 2024

Namunda Primary School, Mulanje, Malawi – August was a busy month as we continued our efforts to enhance school facilities, track student enrollment, and prepare to support our vulnerable learners as the new school year begins.

Facility Management & Maintenance

In August, we made strides in school maintenance, but not without some bumps along the way. A shortage of materials delayed the completion of tile maintenance, but we expect to get back on track as supplies arrive. Looking ahead to September, we plan to:

• Finish tile maintenance in classrooms
• Repair chairs and kitchen pots
• Construct a new urinal block for boys
• Repair the control panel of the solar water system

2025 Outlook: A Growing School Community

Student Enrollment: Our enrollment stands at an impressive 1,053 students – 543 boys and 510 girls spread across eight grades. The largest class is Standard 3 with 152 students, while Standard 7 is our smallest, with 94 students.

Dedicated Teaching Staff: The school’s heartbeat is its team of 19 dedicated teachers, who bring a diverse mix of skills to serve all students across grade levels.

Planning for Student Retention

Problem: Repeating Grades

One of our ongoing challenges is the high number of students repeating grades. In 2024, 173 students found themselves back in the same standard as the previous year. We’re keenly aware of the need for academic interventions and tailored support to ensure every student has the tools to advance to the next level.

Alongside this, the school continues to support students with special learning needs, including 28 with low vision and 27 with hearing difficulties. This underlines our drive to provide the right resources and programs to meet the diverse needs of our learners.

Problem: Dropouts & Their Causes

While some students excel, others face barriers that make staying in school difficult:

• Pregnancy: 7 students
• Marriage: 9 students
• Other reasons (unspecified): 45 students

Factors like family responsibilities, poverty, child labor, and illness contribute to the dropout rate, and addressing these challenges will require a multi-pronged approach involving both community and resource support.

Solution: Introducing New Life-Skills Programs

We’re in active discussions with our partners at GAIA Global Health to establish two life-skills programs aimed at equipping students with practical and social tools for life and learning. We aim to launch one of these programs before January 2025, with more details to come this November.

Years of research and our own experiences show that life-skills programs can have a profound impact on academic performance and student retention. By offering vocational training and extracurricular opportunities, we empower students to stay engaged and motivated in their educational journey.

For decades, studies have consistently shown that participation in extracurricular activities correlates with improved academic performance. Students who are engaged in sports, clubs, arts, and other activities outside of class tend to have:

• Higher grades: A study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that students involved in extracurricular activities were more likely to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Increased attendance and lower dropout rates: Participation fosters a stronger sense of school belonging and keeps students more engaged, reducing absenteeism and decreasing the likelihood of dropping out.

Life-skills programs also show to foster teamwork, leadership, social skills, time management, and discipline—all of which contribute to better cognitive abilities, mental well-being, and emotional health for our students.

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the new school year and roll out these exciting new programs!

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, 1995; Fredricks, J. A., & Eccles, J. S., 2006; Mahoney, J. L., Cairns, B. D., & Farmer, T. W., 2003.