Holiday Programme focuses on exam success

In rural Blantyre, Southern Malawi, only a small percentage of primary school students advance to the country's top secondary schools. Hope4Malawi is working to change that.

To help more of our partner primary school children reach their full potential, the Hope4Development team in Malawi has created a Holiday Programme for Year 8 students in their final year. This programme is designed to improve exam performance and expand their opportunities.

One key objective is to boost exam success so that more of Hope4Malawi’s partner primary school learners are selected for places at national and district secondary schools, which are similar to UK grammar schools.

In recent years, very few students have been selected, and the Holiday Programme aims to reverse this trend.

When developing this programme, the Hope4Development team chose to focus on children in their final year of primary school, particularly those with the potential to gain a national or district secondary school place, which is awarded on merit.

The students attend Hope Skills Centre on Saturdays for revision classes in core subjects –mainly English, maths, science and agriculture. They work hard, learning alongside the Hope4Development team, practising exam questions, and developing strong exam techniques.

Because our Hope4Development team members have attended national and district schools themselves, they can share valuable insights, such as how to earn marks in the exam. Learning a few key techniques could help students secure 10-15 ‘easy’ marks, significantly improving their overall grades. 

It is very encouraging to hear that our team believes some of the children have the potential to be accepted into national and district schools, which would be an amazing achievement. 

By equipping students with the skills and confidence to excel in exams, the Holiday Programme is paving the way for a brighter future for these children and their communities.

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Can you help a child in Malawi?

Thanks to the support of our partners, sponsors, fundraisers and volunteers, Hope4Malawi's Youth Development programmes, building projects, resourcing initiatives, and student sponsorships continue to provide life-changing opportunities for children in rural Blantyre.

Contact us for further information on how to get involved.