World Bank donates 568 000 secondary school textbooks

Government of Malawi has received 568 000 secondary school textbooks worth K2.9 billion from World Bank.

The books are expected to be distributed to all 728 conventional and community secondary schools across the country from December 18, 2013.

Speaking on Thursday after inspecting Kanengo Warehouse where the books are packed, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Agnes Mandebvu Chatipwa said the project was timely and that the books would help in improving the quality of education in the country.

“The books have come in good time as government wants quality education for our children, and for the development of the country,” said Chatipwa.

She also said government alone could not manage to purchase all the needed books in schools and that donors’ support was welcome.

According to Gaulphine Nyirenda, country representative for Mallory International Limited, the company contracted to distribute the books throughout the country, the books were published locally and internationally.

“We had 28 publishing companies of which 20 were from the UK, Kenya, India and South Africa while eight were from within the country,” explained Nyirenda.

She added that World Bank had paid for all the costs and that the books would be distributed according to the number needed at each school.