LocationsValuing the Value of Values in Malawian Schools
May 7, 2025
Participants pictured alongside officials from UNDP, the Ministry of Education, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau during a Training of Trainers session held in Lilongwe.
One of the most heartbreaking moments in Standard Seven teacher Enock Chikhugwa’s career came when a learner bribed a classmate to copy an assignment in exchange for breaktime snacks.
“As small as it might seem,” Chikhugwa reflects, “I was worried that this was a microcosm of society. What principles would these learners take into the adult world if cheating their way through learning was acceptable?”
He believes the incident reflects a broader integrity crisis that begins in childhood and, if unchecked, can lead to the corruption and fraud that undermine Malawi’s development today.
This experience cemented Chikhugwa’s commitment to instilling the value of values in his learners.
Standard Seven teacher Enock Chikhugwa is one of several educators trained through the Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative
Today, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Chikhugwa is among dozens of teachers trained as part of a Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative. The programme equips one teacher per school across five districts—Mchinji, Blantyre, Machinga, Rumphi, and Lilongwe—to become champions of integrity education.
“This training will equip me with skills to handle issues related to integrity and values,” Chikhugwa explains. “When interacting with my learners, I will teach the importance of having good manners and integrity. I will support them in changing their mindset.”
Sylvia Nkhoma, a Standard Six teacher from Lilongwe, is also participating. “What breaks my heart,” she says, “is even the boldness of some learners with a corrupt spirit to offer to bribe teachers for grades.”
This troubling mindset, she adds, has spread beyond students.
“Some community members even believe teachers can be bought to favour their children during examinations. Students are passing classes without acquiring real knowledge. Greed is the root of this integrity crisis. Our learners need to understand the importance of community and respecting others.”
She adds: “After this training, we will teach our learners the value of values and integrity. It’s about loving your friends, community and country the same way you love yourself. They must remove the spirit of greed—the root of corruption.”
Sylvia Nkhoma, a Standard Six teacher, says she is committed to teaching her learners the importance of values and integrity.
Building a Culture of Integrity
The participating teachers will become focal points for anti-corruption programming in their schools. They will also lead Umunthu Clubs, extracurricular groups that reinforce the Sourcebook’s messages of integrity, respect, and community values.
This is part of the Anti-Corruption Sourcebook Initiative, a flagship preventative programme led by the ACB in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Malawi Institute of Education and with technical and financial support from UNDP.
The initiative is grounded in the belief that Malawi must instil early values of integrity, ethics, and accountability to achieve lasting development.
At the recent ToT sessions at Chimutu Teachers’ Development Centre in Lilongwe, Rowland Cole, UNDP’s Chief Technical Advisor for Rule of Law and Human Rights, reminded the teachers that mindset change is a catalyst for development, echoing Malawi’s 2063 vision.
“Generational change starts at an early stage,” Cole said. “The Sourcebook is meant to equip teachers with skills to promote integrity as a lifelong value, starting with early childhood education. Young learners are the future generation. Teachers, I know your efforts often go unnoticed, but your impact is huge. Be steadfast in rolling out these values.”
Teachers as Community Heroes
The Ministry of Education’s Thressa Nkhoma Binali, Quality Assurance Officer, acknowledged the erosion of values in society and urged teachers to see themselves as agents of change.
“You spend much time with the learners, and they look up to you. If you impart values in them, they will grow with them and impact the nation,” she affirmed.
Agnes Mweta, ACB’s Acting Director of Public Education, underscored the importance of teachers’ leadership inside and outside the classroom.
She continued, “The Umunthu Sourcebook is a vital resource enabling teachers to shape responsible citizens who uphold transparency, accountability, integrity, honesty, patriotism, and hard work. As you receive the training and return to your classrooms, we encourage you to share your experiences and knowledge with your colleagues and learners. Above all, we expect you to lead by example so that the learners can learn the values from how you conduct yourselves. Let us work together to promote a culture of integrity and transparency in our education system.”
A Generational Strategy Taking Root
The Teaching Values for a Corruption-Free Malawi Sourcebook, officially launched on 6 October 2023, represents more than just a teaching manual—it is a long-term, generational strategy designed to embed a culture of integrity deep within Malawi’s education system.
At its core, the initiative promotes integrity not as a one-time lesson but as a lifelong value that must take root in early childhood. It equips teachers with practical tools and confidence to instill anti-corruption principles in primary school learners while supporting long-term behavioural change. This ethical education is not imported or abstract. It is grounded in local concepts such as Umunthu, the African and Malawian philosophy that celebrates humanity, empathy and responsibility toward others.
The initiative contributes directly to one of Malawi 2063's most critical goals: changing mindsets and strengthening effective, accountable governance. So far, this effort has been rolled out in 20 primary schools across five districts.
Over 1,694 primary school teachers and instructors at Teacher Training Colleges and Primary Education Advisors have received training. Their training ensures that the message of integrity will be delivered and cascade to future educators and generations of students.
To support this rollout, approximately 17,000 Sourcebooks and 24,000 illustrations have been printed and widely distributed, bringing the lessons of integrity and accountability into classrooms across the country.
The impact of this homegrown approach has not gone unnoticed. The International Anti-Corruption Academy recently recognised the Sourcebook as the Best Collective Action Initiative in Africa, a testament to its potential to inspire and transform. Beyond awards, the most meaningful milestone has been the Sourcebook’s full adoption into future national curriculum reviews, securing its place in the education of Malawian children for years to come.