Understanding the causes of school drop-out in Malawi

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Education is a major route out of poverty for individuals and nations. In Malawi, one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, initial enrolment in school is high, but half the children drop out by the end of year 6, and only a third complete the 8 years of primary school. Drop-out in adolescence is higher in girls than in boys, and often follows early pregnancy and marriage. Using data from a large population-based study with annual surveys in northern Malawi (> 10,000 children), and a study that has followed >2500 adolescents over time in southern Malawi, we propose to explore the pathways to drop-out and their causes. Important questions that we will address include: Do girls drop out of school because they are pregnant, or do they get pregnant because they were already disaffected with or failing school? How far is an adolescent's own school behaviour influenced by the schooling or sexual behaviour of their peers or siblings?What attributes of the schools, of families and of the community reduce drop-out?This research is a collaboration between academic researchers and those working in the Ministry of Education in Malawi, at national and district levels, allowing lessons learnt to influence education policy and practice.