1) The MATSS project in Malawi provided educational opportunities for women in rural communities to become teachers or teaching assistants through a combination of academic study and structured school experience. 2) The program aimed to increase the number of qualified female educators in rural primary schools, where only 10% of teachers are currently women, and improve educational outcomes for both female students and scholars. 3) Over the course of the 2011-2012 pilot, 488 women across 4 districts participated in the MATSS scholarship, studying towards their MSCE while gaining classroom experience. The scholars expressed commitment to empowering girls and their communities through education.

1. Second opportunities
for women
in rural Malawi
Lore Gallastegi
The Open University in Scotland
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2. MATSS
Malawi Access to Teaching
Saltire Scholarship
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3. Malawi Primary Education
• Large class sizes in Malawi primary schools
• Only 10% of children in rural primary schools
have a female teacher
• High female drop-out in rural primary
education and low achievement
• Low numbers of suitably qualified female
applicants to formal teaching training courses
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4. Project outcomes
• Improved visibility of women in education – as educators and
learners – in rural communities
• Increased numbers of suitably qualified and motivated
women applying to teacher training or teaching assistant
programmes in rural areas
• High quality study and practice based materials with
participatory pedagogy
• Improved understanding and skills of head teachers and
teachers in managing additional adult helpers in their
classrooms
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5. Key features of the Programme
• Combination of academic study (towards MSCE) and
structured school experience practice
• Empowering women in their own communities
• Women as role models in their own communities
• Women taking responsibility for their own study
• Use of peer support
• Strong school and community focus
• Support from local networks with local knowledge
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6. MATSS Project 2011 - 2012
• April 2011 – March 2012
• 4 districts, 488 Scholars
District Total
scholars in
district
Chikhwawa 118
Dedza 121
Mwanza 146
Ntchisi 103
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7. Mwanza Scholars; April 2011
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8. Chikwawa Scholars; April 2011
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9. Who are the MATSS Scholars?
Scholars’ ages
Grand
Age band Chikhwawa Dedza Mwanza Ntchisi Total
<20 4 2 1 8 15
20-24 58 53 60 49 220
25-29 28 46 43 32 149
30,34 15 15 25 7 62
35+ 7 4 12 0 23
Not Known 6 1 5 7 19
Grand Total 118 121 146 103 488
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10. Barriers to success in MSCE
• Pressure from
• Peers
• Family
• Community
• Family environment
• Bereavement
• Travel
• Lack of teacher support
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11. Reasons to join programme
• “I want to encourage girls as an example to work
hard at school because they use early marriage,
as of now Standard 8 has no girls. I want to teach
the villagers how to read and write.” (C031)
• I will set myself as a good example to my friends
who left school without good reasons and refuse
to go back to school.” (C013)
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12. Reasons to join programme (2)
• “Because it helps to reduce women’s
ignorance in the country.” (C004)
• “So it is my ambition to help the villagers and
village head men to help all the children who
don’t like tp go to school...we want to
empower all the children surrounding us.”
(M025)
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13. Scholars’ perceptions of
women teachers
• “Women teachers are first teachers at
home.”(M119)
• “It encourages the women to be independent. It
assists the women to increase our knowledge. It
assists women to be active in our family. It helps
the girls to avoid early marriage.” (M098)
• “Women teachers support the orphans and other
children.” (M136)
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14. Strengths of Scholars
• Commitment
• Resilience
• Support from:
• Peers
• Teachers
• Community
• District officers
• Resources
• Local NGOs
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15. Dedza Scholars; October 2011
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16. Further information
www.tessafrica.net
Lore Gallastegi
The Open University in Scotland
l.gallastegi@open.ac.uk
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