Adult literacy education is empowering parents in Ntcheu District to take a more active role in their children's education.

Previously, some parents struggled to monitor their children's academic progress or assist with schoolwork due to their own limited literacy skills. However, after attending adult literacy classes, many are now able to guide their children and encourage them to take education seriously.

Education officials report that this growing parental involvement is gradually improving children's learning outcomes in several communities.

Grace Chikombola, 47, from Majuwa Village, is one such parent whose outlook on education has transformed after attending adult literacy classes. Chikombola dropped out of school in Standard Two at age 15 due to poverty.

At that time, education wasn't free, and my parents couldn't afford to continue paying school fees."

As a mother of three, Chikombola previously struggled to help her children with schoolwork due to her limited literacy skills.

I could only check if my child had passed or failed by looking at their exercise books. Because of that, one of my children repeated classes from Standard One to Standard Three twice.

After joining adult literacy classes, Chikombola learned to read and write, enabling her to support her child's education.

I now help my child with corrections and check their exercise books. Since then, she hasn't repeated a class and is currently in Standard Seven. I always encourage her to work hard in school because education is important. I don't want her to face the challenges I faced.

John Kapamba, 53, from Kapinjo Village, said adult literacy education has helped him regain confidence as a parent. Before joining the classes, Kapamba couldn't verify his children's school performance.

Sometimes my children would tell me they'd passed their exams even when they'd failed because I couldn't read their exercise books and school reports," he said.

Kapamba said this situation affected how his children viewed him. When I tried to correct them for failing, they'd laugh and say I was correcting them for something I myself couldn't do.

However, after completing adult literacy education, Kapamba said things changed.

Now I can read their exercise books and see their marks. My children respect me and even bring their homework to me.

Faina Kena, 50, from Mangola Village, said learning to read and write has helped her closely monitor her child's academic progress. Kena dropped out of school as a child because her parents prioritized educating their sons over daughters.

At that time, there was no free primary education, and my parents chose to send my brothers to school.

Before joining adult literacy classes, Kena relied on verbal explanations from teachers to understand her child's performance.

My child would mark her own exercises and write remarks like 'very good' or 'excellent', but I couldn't verify if that was correct.

After acquiring literacy skills, Kena said she now reads her child's school reports and exercise books.

When I see a problem, I go to the school with my child to ask the teachers.

She added that her child's academic performance has improved since she started closely monitoring her education.

In the past, my child used to be around position 20 in class, but now she's often among the top three.

Henderson Kamwaza, a teacher at Kwataine Adult Literacy Centre, said adult literacy education is helping parents understand the importance of education for their children.

When parents learn to read and write, they become more interested in their children's schoolwork and are able to follow their progress.

Kamwaza said the establishment of a community learning centre by DVV International has encouraged more parents to join literacy classes. Currently, the centre has registered about 30 learners.

We expect the number to increase as more parents realise that literacy education can help them support their children.

Moses Ziba, Education and Development Community Development Officer in the Ministry of Gender, said literate parents play an important role in promoting education within families.

Parents who can read and write are better able to monitor their children's education and encourage them to work hard in school.

Ziba added that improving adult literacy can contribute to national development because educated parents are more likely to raise children who value education.

As adult literacy programmes continue in Ntcheu, many parents say the skills they're gaining are changing their lives and helping them guide their children toward a better educational future. Malawi Vision 2063 is the country’s long‑term development blueprint aimed at transforming Malawi into an inclusively wealthy and self‑reliant nation by 2063. The vision aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 4, which promotes inclusive, equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, including adults.