[{"bbox": [145, 151, 1085, 284], "category": "Text", "text": "acute food insecurity. Despite advances in gender equality over the last decade, Malawi ranks 142/162 on the Gender Inequality Index (GII), reflecting high levels of inequality in reproductive health, women's empowerment and economic activity. With current trends, Malawi is likely to fall short of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by a wide margin, unless more public and private resources are mobilised, and more allocative efficiencies are achieved."}, {"bbox": [145, 296, 1085, 696], "category": "Text", "text": "Since 2020, when President Chakwera assumed office, the Malawian economy has suffered from the adverse effects of multiple shocks that amplified pre-existing vulnerabilities, interrupted the post-pandemic recovery and set back reform implementation. More recently, foreign exchange shortages (gross reserve projected at 1.8 month of import cover in 2023), that constrained importation of essential commodities, in particular fuel and production inputs, a generally unfavourable external environment, as well as the impact of Cyclone Ana in 2022 and Cyclone Freddy in 2023, impacting crop production and worsening an already erratic electricity supply situation, are all factors weakening growth performance (estimated to reach 1.6% in 2023³). In 2023, fiscal deficits have thus continued to widen (projected at -11.7% of GDP), and the task of raising revenue remains challenging (only 13.3% of GDP). The tightening of monetary conditions (with a policy rate pushed at 24% in July 2023) has been so far insufficient to contain inflationary pressures (projected at 28% in 2023), due to the continued increase in the money supply (caused by high level of government borrowing) and depreciation of the kwacha. Malawi's external debt is presently deemed unsustainable, according to IMF and World Bank Debt Sustainability Framework. As for many other areas, the very constrained fiscal space adds pressure to education service delivery, in a sector facing already significant structural challenges."}, {"bbox": [145, 706, 1085, 947], "category": "Text", "text": "To restore macro-stability, the authorities have embarked on a reform programme supported by international partners, notably the EU, which has focused on restructuring its external debt, increasing domestic revenue, controlling public expenditure, expanding social protection, developing mining projects and intervening on the agricultural commodity market. Following the positive track record built under the Staff Monitored Programme with Executive Board involvement (PMB) agreed with the IMF in November 2022, Malawi reached a new Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement with the IMF in November 2023. This arrangement is expected to preserve the reform momentum, address sources of economic fragility and catalyse additional bilateral and multilateral financial support, while allowing the resumption of budget support from various development partners."}, {"bbox": [145, 959, 382, 991], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [145, 1004, 369, 1031], "category": "Text", "text": "*Short problem analysis:*"}, {"bbox": [145, 1043, 521, 1071], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Priority Area 1- Secondary Education"}, {"bbox": [145, 1082, 1085, 1243], "category": "Text", "text": "Secondary education has been lagging behind for many years in Malawi, mainly due to insufficient human and financial resources and weak track record of reform implementation. Not even half of the children who complete primary school find places in secondary schools, and many drop out before they complete the four-year secondary cycle. Due to various challenges both in terms of supply of and demand for secondary education, learners outcomes are very low, resulting in insufficient skilled graduates for the country's needs."}, {"bbox": [145, 1254, 1085, 1388], "category": "Text", "text": "**Insufficient Access:** In terms of supply, there is a substantial lack of places, insufficient school infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Increasing availability of good quality and climate resilient infrastructure is a high priority, though achieving construction targets is hampered by high costs and delays in procurement. EU⁴, World Bank and USAID are the main partners of the Ministry of Education (MoE) in terms of expansion of physical infrastructures in support to the secondary education subsector."}, {"bbox": [145, 1399, 1085, 1480], "category": "Text", "text": "**Education Financing:** A key constraint to the supply of good quality and equitable education is linked to the insufficient availability and inefficient use of financing. Since 2017/18 education sector spending as a share of total government budget decreased from 22% to around 16%, fluctuating between 4% and"}, {"bbox": [145, 1541, 602, 1566], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ GDP at constant market price, IMF, November 2023."}, {"bbox": [145, 1566, 1085, 1616], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ The EU funded ISEM II programme, running in parallel to this Action, aims at supporting an inclusive and climate resilient expansion of 40 CDSSs across 12 districts."}, {"bbox": [976, 1681, 1082, 1707], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 29"}]