Edukans’ chairperson of the advisory body Lindirabe Galeta Mazinyane was speaking on Tuesday in Lilongwe during the announcement of a primary school twenty-month 173.5 million-kwacha Eco-School project, which aims at promoting active citizenship and improved livelihoods through education.

The 173.5 million kwacha Echo School Project which commenced on 1st June is being implemented in twenty primary schools and is directly benefiting 20,000 learners in Thyolo, Salima, Mangochi, and Lilongwe Rural West.

According to chairperson of the Edukans Foundation advisory body Lindirabe Galeta Mazinyane, it is by extensive funding that policies and programs can be implemented, thus pleading with government to allocated adequate funds to education in the 2020-2021 national budget.

She said that there is need to empower learners with enough and proper materials, as well as good teaching methods to improve outcomes, adding that all this rests with the provision of enough resources.

“We cannot talk about achieving quality education in the country if government does not allocate enough funds to implement policies. It’s not only about just teaching, it is about adequate funding that can address all components needed for all policies and programs to be carried out,” Mazinyane said.

Director of Department of Inspectorate and Advisory Services in the Ministry of Education, Raphael Agabu has hailed the program, which he said will assist in the regeneration of education systems in the country.

“There is indeed more to do so that our education system is regenerated. Education is crucial for social-economic development, so there is a need to give it all the resources. This is why it is paramount to empower both teachers and learners so that they connect well for the curriculum to be understood and bear fruits,” Agabu said.

The Eco Star School project is a result of a collaboration between Edukans Foundation Malawi, Education Expertise Development Foundation, and Education Commission of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe of the Catholic Church.