By Chisomo Phiri
Education policy expert, Dr.Zizwa Msukuma, has described the improvement in the performance of learners with special educational needs as a significant milestone in the country’s pursuit of inclusive education, but has called for systematic reforms to sustain the progress.
His remarks follow an improvement in the Special Needs Education (SNE) pass rate from 57.08 percent in the 2025 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations to 61.89 percent in 2026.
According to the 2026 examination results, 562 out of 908 SNE candidates passed, representing a pass rate of 61.89 percent.
In an interview with 247 Malawi News,Msukuma attributed the improvement to increased awareness, differentiated teaching methods, the use of assistive technologies and efforts to make assessment processes fairer and more accessible.
He, however, called for a shift from piecemeal interventions to systematic reforms and strategic investment in teacher training and assistive technologies.
The education expert said such efforts should be aligned with Malawi’s National Education Sector Plan (2020–2030) and the broader aspirations of Malawi 2063 on inclusivity and human capital development.
Commenting on the same,Malawi Council for Disability Affairs (MACODA) Public Relations Officer, Harriet Kachimanga, welcomed the improved pass rate but said continued efforts are needed to ensure that learners with disabilities reach their full academic potential.
“The improvement is encouraging; it reminds us of the need for continued efforts to ensure that all learners with disabilities can reach their full potential,” she said.
Kachimanga identified limited access to inclusive learning materials such as Braille books, inadequate teacher training in inclusive education, and limited support systems in schools and communities as some of the challenges affecting learners’ performance.
She called for enhanced teacher training, increased provision of assistive technologies and curriculum adjustments to cater to diverse learning needs.
On his part,Malawi National Association of the Deaf (MANAD) Executive Director, Byson Chimenya, said the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) should categorise SNE candidates to provide specific data on deaf learners and enable stakeholders to assess their performance against previous years.
Chimenya said a shortage of teachers skilled in sign language, limited access to accessible learning materials, communication barriers in classrooms and inadequate sign language support during examinations continue to affect deaf learners.
“MANAD believes that improving access to sign language, qualified teachers, accessible learning materials and appropriate examination support is essential to improving the academic performance of deaf learners,” he said.
Chimenya called on the government and other stakeholders to train and deploy more teachers skilled in Malawian Sign Language, provide accessible learning materials and strengthen sign language support during examinations.
