Community participation in infrastructural projects in community day secondary schools in Chilumba educational cluster in Karonga district

Abstract

It is undeniable that availability of adequate and good-quality school infrastructures is one of the factors that lead to high quality education. However, Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs), which outnumber conventional secondary schools in Malawi, have relatively poor infrastructures. This, among other factors, makes CDSSs compromise the quality of education they offer. Bearing in mind that the government alone cannot manage to provide adequate and relevant school structures to such schools, the need to actively indulge local communities in the same becomes imperative. In the light of this, this study was undertaken to investigate the extent to which local people take part in infrastructural projects in CDSSs in Chilumba Educational Cluster (CEC). The study adopted qualitative approach in the interpretive paradigm. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and documentary review. The researcher analysed the data thematically. The study revealed that local people were mainly engaged in school projects by contributing local materials and strategising some school projects through PTA and SMC. However, it was observed that in some projects, local people are not involved as an integral part and that some communities are not very keen to contribute to school development. Therefore, the researcher recommended that the government should seriously enforce the policy that funding agencies should actively involve local communities in all stages when carrying out school projects. Apart from this, the policy of community contribution to school projects should be strongly enforced.