Programs: Public Schools
Goods for Good’s Public School program improves the educational environment for students in Liberia and Malawi through the provision of basic school materials and teacher training programs.
While Liberia and Malawi differ, both countries struggle with severely under-resourced school systems. In Liberia, after 14 years of civil war, the government is working to rebuild its devastated education system. In Malawi, the government is partnering with international development organizations to scale up its limited infrastructure.
Realizing that education is the key to a brighter future, both countries have made primary education free and compulsory for all children. As a result, millions of children are enrolled in school systems that lack sufficient facilities, staff and materials. Teachers and students surveyed by Goods for Good explained that a lack of teaching and learning materials is one of the primary contributors to high dropout rates and low education standards. In Malawi, 20% of children drop out of school before third grade.
Given these circumstances, G4G’s Public Schools program has two central elements. The first is providing direct material support to all students and teachers through the Pens and Pads for Progress initiative, and the second is providing teaching materials to school staff through the Teacher Supply Closets program. To date, 1,037 schools have been supported through the Public Schools program.
