School Language Policy, Research and Practice in Malawi

Malawi has over 16 local languages. However, not all these languages are used as school languages in the education system. The illiteracy rate in Malawi is one of the highest in Southern Africa at 58% (UNICEF: 1993). This paper discusses Malawi's school language policy. It also discusses the manner in which this policy has been implemented and some of the findings on the current school language policy that were obtained from the research which IEQlMalawi carried out in 1999 in 65 schools in Mangochi and Balaka districts of the Southern Malawi.