Help your children to explore what life is like for children at a school in a Malawi with this comprehensive pack of teaching, activity and display resources. It includes a topic guide, posters, fact files, maps, teacher and student profiles, banners, bunting and more! Available from https://www.teachingpacks.co.uk/the-school-life-in-malawi-pack/

1. Matandani School is a primary school in Malawi,
which can be found in the south east of Africa.
Africa Class 1.
Matandani
School in Malawi.
A map of
the world.
Africa
Malawi
Africa is the second largest continent
and it covers one-fifth of the Earth’s land
surface. However, it only contains about
one tenth of the Earth’s population.
The equator runs
through Africa, cutting
it almost equally in two.
The northern half is
mainly covered in
desert, while the central
and southern area have
savannah plains and
dense rainforest.

2. Malawi is among the world’s least developed countries. It
relies on agriculture and most of the population live in
rural areas. There is widespread overpopulation and
unemployment but the country is making progress to
build the economy and improve education and healthcare.
Malawi, formerly known as
Nyasaland, shares borders with
Zambia, Tanzania and
Mozambique. The country is
known as ‘the warm heart of
Africa’.
The capital city is Lilongwe and
Lake Malawi (also known as
Lake Nyasa) takes up about one
fifth of the country’s area.
A map of
Malawi.
Malawi
A model of the world,
showing Malawi in red.
Lake Malawi.

3. Schooling in Malawi
120 learners in a Standard 4 class.
This is the average class size.
Children are expected to start school by the time they are six years old but
most start when they are five. Each year is divided into ‘standards’ from
Standard 1 to Standard 8.
Primary education is compulsory. It is also free but this can cause problems
for schools, which often struggle with large numbers of children attending.
In 2018, Matandani school had one teacher for every sixty-four children.
Matandani
Primary
School’s
crest.
The schooling system in Malawi is
divided into different levels:
• Primary School,
• Secondary School,
• College or University.

4. English Chichewa
Hello. Moni.
Thank you. Zikomo.
How are you? Muli bwanji?
I’m fine, and you?
Ndili bwino,
kaya-iwe?
Good. Chabwino.
Sorry. Pepani.
My name is ___.
Dzina langa ndi
_____.
I am __ years old. Ndili ndi zaka __.
I am from Malawi.
Ndimachokera ku
Malawi.
I go to Matandani
school.
Ndimapita ku
Matandani school.
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Images: © ThinkStock©

5. Population
Malawi has a population of
just over 19,000,000. Nearly
half of Malawians are under
14 years old and most of
them live in rural areas.
Language
The official languages
of Malawi are English
and Chichewa. There
are several other local
languages and
Chichewa is the most
widely spoken. Over
half of the population
speak it.
Cities
There are four cities in Malawi.
The capital, Lilongwe, is the
largest, with just over 1,000,000
residents. The others are Blantyre
(1,000,000), Mzuzu (175,000) and
Zomba (100,000). Geography
Malawi is landlocked (does not have a
coastline) and has borders with
Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Lake
Malawi (also known as Lake Nyasa) is the
third largest lake in Africa. The climate is
sub-tropical, with a Hot Wet season, a
Cool Dry season and a Hot Dry season.
Landmarks
Mount Mulanje, in Southern Malawi, is an enormous
granite mountain, which is nearly 3,000m (10,000 ft)
high. Malawi also has several wildlife reserves and
National Parks, where the animals are protected.
St. Peter's Cathedral stands on an island in Lake
Malawi and is a well known landmark.
Food
Traditional Malawian dishes include nsima, which
is a cooked maize flour, and mandasi, a type of
doughnut. Fresh fish from Lake Malawi is also
widely eaten.
Sport
Football is the most
popular sport in Malawi.
The national netball
team is very successful.
Malawi has won three
Commonwealth Games
medals, all of them
have been for boxing.
Borscht
Mount Mulanje.
Economy
Malawi is one of the least developed
countries in the world and is dependent on
farming and financial help from other
countries. The most popular crop is tobacco.
The currency is the Malawian Kwacha.
A map of
Malawi.
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Images: © ThinkStock
©
Traditional fishing
boats on Lake Malawi.
Malawian Kwacha.

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Images: © Andy Monaghan
©
A Chichewa lesson for Standard 2 using the blackboard.

7. www.teachingpacks.co.uk
Images: © Andy Monaghan
©
A class of 130 children lines up outside.

8. How is this similar to
your own experiences?
How is this different to
your own experiences?
What would you like to find out?
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©

9. How is this similar to
your own experiences?
How is this different to
your own experiences?
What would you like to find out?
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©

10. The School Crest
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©
The crest of Matandani Primary School is above. It
shows Zomba Plateau in the background (which
can be seen from the school’s grounds). The rising
sun shows how the school is improving and
helping every student to reach his or her potential.
The large mango tree represents the mango trees
at the school and it shows that large and strong
roots are important for growth. The mangoes on
the tree show the success of students moving on
to secondary school.
Can you
design a
new crest
for your
school?

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