President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s free secondary education promise is beginning to bear its first fruits, with Education Minister Bright Msaka’s experience and leadership being credited by supporters of the programme for helping drive its implementation.
The development comes as 111,510 candidates have passed the 2026 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations, representing a national pass rate of 59.26 percent.
Mutharika’s free education initiative, one of his major campaign promises ahead of the 2025 elections, was introduced on 1 January 2026 and removed several financial barriers affecting learners in public primary and day secondary schools.
Msaka, who heads the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, has been championing the implementation of the programme, which is intended to widen access to education and keep more children in school.
Supporters say Msaka’s experience in public service and his leadership at the ministry have been important in translating Mutharika’s policy vision into a programme being implemented across the country.
The 2026 MSCE results offer an early opportunity to assess outcomes under the new policy, although the results alone cannot establish that free education caused the pass rate.
MANEB says 188,169 candidates sat for this year’s examinations, with 63,037 of the 98,020 male candidates passing, representing 62.80 percent, while 48,473 of the 90,149 female candidates passed, representing 53.77 percent.
The policy has removed tuition fees, MANEB examination fees, identity card charges and School Development Fund contributions for learners covered by the programme.
The government says the initiative is aimed at reducing school dropouts and giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds greater opportunity to continue with their education.
As more learners progress through the free education system, subsequent examination results will provide a broader basis for measuring the impact of Mutharika’s flagship education initiative.
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