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Chapter Five

Education

5.1 INTRODUCTION
The previous chapter having dealt with congregational life and church officers, it now seems a natural progression to move on to the subject of education. The quality of education has a direct bearing upon the leaders of tomorrow. True to its Reformed heritage, Nkhoma Synod continued its educational activities. This chapter will show how it continued to make the connection between education and Gospel witness.
It was not until 1950 that the Church, as distinguished from the Mission, took a major role in education. That year a Malawian was for the first time named as assistant to the Education Secretary. A joint Education Committee was established, and this included Revs. N. Katengeza, S.A. Mvula, and A. Sendera. The transfer of control of education from Mission to Church was completed with the Church�s assumption of responsibility for the William Murray Institute in 1960 (Pauw 1980: 180-181).
Besides the assisted and unassisted primary and secondary schools which will shortly be discussed, the institutions owned by Nkhoma Synod in 1962 were: girls� boarding schools at Dzenza and Nkhoma, the Homecraft Centre at Malingunde, �outschools,� The School for the Blind at Kasungu, the William Murray Institute, and the Robert Blake School.

5.2 SECULARIZATION AND SCHOOLS
Secularisation of education by the new post-independence Government of Malawi and the decline of church control over schools produced early results. David S. Bone explains how intervention on the part of the Malawi Government had religious ramifications. For example, the relationship between education and Islam was affected by new Government policy.
Perhaps the single most significant change affecting the Muslim community arising from Malawi�s attainment of independence was in the field of education. In its 1961 manifesto the Malawi Congress Party had made the pledge, �The party when in power will pay special attention to those parts of the country like the Muslim areas�where education has been deplorably neglected�. In order to achieve this, when it came to power, the Malawi Government took a strong line against forms of denominationalism that had led to the effective exclusion of Muslims from schools. In the words of Malawi�s President Banda, �As soon as I took over the government I directed there must be no marriage between education and religion.� In practical terms this meant that though the various Christian churches remained as proprietors of the majority of schools in the country, control of educational policy and control of entry to all schools passed firmly into the hands of the Ministry of Education. Government further attempted to promote the education of Muslims by providing schools and teachers in predominantly Muslim areas. Speeches by officials of the Government and of the Malawi Congress Party frequently exhorted Muslim parents to send their children to school, stressing the changes that had taken place with independence and reassuring them that they had nothing to fear from Christian pressure on pupils (Bone 2000: 140; italics added by the researcher).
Nevertheless, the new secularising policies of the Government affected more than just the Muslims and their education. The Government could direct religious instruction of church youth by the churches; separation of church and state as understood in other countries was not observed in Malawi. The following is given as an example.
In traditional Chewa culture, there existed an initiation rite for young people called chinamwali, the purpose of which was to pass on the values of that people. The instructors for this rite were called the anamkhunwi. Nkhoma Synod decided to replace this rite, calling the alternative chilangizo. The instructors were renamed the alangizi. In 1977 the Chilangizo (instruction) handbook was revised. The new edition had to be sent to the Government Censorship Board for approval. Ministers were given orders to burn all copies of the previous edition, and to give adequate training to the alangizi (instructors).   The problem was that they had published a handbook, which because it dealt in part with sexual issues, contained pictures and words for genitalia. This offended the government censorship board; they considered it to be bordering on pornography. Therefore the original edition was ordered burned and replaced by a less explicit version. Chilangizo, with the alangizi and handbook continue in use today, teaching such things as respect for elders and preparation for marriage.
From earliest times, there was close cooperation between government and the Nkhoma Synod regarding education. There developed a system in which there were two types of schools: Assisted schools, in which the Government paid the teachers, and unassisted schools, in which the Synod paid them. Until recent times, however, the Synod played a leading role in both. Writing in 1990, Winston R. Kawale (then Education Secretary for Nkhoma Synod) explains,
When the Government was established in 1891, the mission councils in Malawi formed Education Board in 1904. In 1905 the Board presented an application to the government for a Grant-in aid. Fortunately, the Government approved a Grant-in aid of �1,000 to be distributed to all mission councils evenly. Nkhoma Synod received �200. Following the Government�s establishment of the Department of Education, Nkhoma Synod received �700 as a Grant-in Aid for her School. This financial assistance continued especially after the opening of Secondary Schools and when all the teachers were being paid by the Government. When the government transferred the teachers from Unified Teaching Service to Civil Service in 1977, the churches were asked to remain as proprietors of the schools they established. The churches had to see to it that the religious character of their schools were maintained through their participation in he appointment of Headmasters and representation on the school committees. The schools where the Government assisted by paying teachers� salaries and providing school material were to be known as �Assisted schools�. At the same time, the churches as Agencies were permitted to open new schools but they were to be responsible for everything including teachers� salaries. Such schools were to be known as �Unassisted Schools�. By 1990 Nkhoma synod had 400 assisted Schools and 110 Unassisted Schools (Kawale 1990: 13).
In its report to the 1990 CCAP General Synod, Nkhoma Synod said this about the status of education in its jurisdiction:
Synod is at present the proprietor of 325 Government assisted Schoos (sic) 111 Government un assisted (sic) Schools, 2 Boys, Secondary Schools (sic), 1 Girls, Secondary School, 2 School for the Blind and 8 Malawi College Distant education Centres (sic). Sometimes we are in difficulty in being not able to pay the teachers in Government un assisted schools due to lack of funds.
The year 1994 was to be a crucial one for the Synod�s educational programme. That year, a new government came to power. The process of secularisation accelerated. The following is presented to show the results of this process.
At the 1994 CCAP General Synod meeting, Nkhoma Synod reported similar numbers: 325 Government Assisted Schools, 185 government Unassisted Schools, 2 boys� Secondary Schools, 2 girls� Secondary Schools, of which one, at Mvera, was a private Secondary School. There was in addition a school for the blind and eight Malawi College of Education Distant Education Centres.
Meanwhile the problem of funds for paying teachers (sic) salaries has been solved because the Government has taken the responsibility of paying all the teachers their salaries including schools which are under the Synod.
Six years later, in the 2000 report to General Synod, Nkhoma Synod listed the following under �Institutions/Organisations�:
� Nkhoma Synod has the following institutions and organizations:
� Namoni Katengeza lay (sic) Training Centre
� Malingunde Womens Training Centre
� Orphanage in Mchinji
� Chilanga School for the Blind
� Nkhoma Printing Press
The 2000 report did not bother to report schools �under its influence� (see 5.6, �Secondary Schools,� and 5.8 �Education and Fiscal Issues�). In the new era, the Synod no longer enumerates �Assisted� and �Unassisted� schools. The Government has asserted its authority in the national educational system. The post-1994 government and its educational programme has made its impact.

5.3 LITERACY PROGRAMS
Mr. Lou Pretorius in 1966-67 established an adult literacy program which within a year had trained 6500 adults in 400 village schools. When the government took over the educational system, adults were no longer permitted to attend school. This was a cause for concern for the Synod, because adults attending catechumen classes had to be literate. This is why in the past the Synod had encouraged adults to attend school.
The Synod did not always see the Government as a competitor in educational matters. Illiteracy has always hampered the work of the Synod. The synod meeting of 1968 took up the issue of what to do with new converts who were unable to read. It gave two suggestions: the local congregations should teach them to read or find someone who could; or else ask the government to start an adult literacy program in their area.
Closely related to this issue was the matter of educating catechumen class members. Illiteracy continues to be a problem that nags the country and the church. Many well-intentioned short-term personnel from the West have difficulty understanding how the high rate of illiteracy affects the life of the church in Malawi, and may furnish sizeable amounts of English-language materials. An example of the continuing necessity of addressing this issue occurred when Synod in 1972 requested of its pastors and teachers of catechumen classes that they see that all catechumens who were illiterate be taught how to read, similar to the action taken in 1968.   This has been seen as an area in which church and state can cooperate for the greater good of the country. The 1990 CCAP General Synod acknowledged the contribution of the Malawi Government in the area of adult literacy.
The Church is grateful that the government is currently running adult literacy Schools countrywide. The Church should encourage Christians to go to these schools.
After Nkhoma Synod established its Relief and Development Department in 1990, its work in adult literacy came under that department�s administration (see section 7.6). At the 1994 CCAP General Synod meeting, Nkhoma Synod reported on the work of its new Relief and Development Department; part of this department�s work was labelled �Functional Literacy.� The Synod reported that,
This section is utilising resource person from Government at present Mr. Makanga (sic). It has 25 manufacturing Adult literacy Education Centres where over 600 students are learning. Seminars are organised to train the Instructors and Committees for those schools. Relief and Development only provides transport, learning and training materials.
Therefore, the symbiotic relationship between church and state in the area of adult literacy is continuing and acknowledged. Other organisations besides church and state, however, have in recent years become heavily involved in promoting adult literacy.
Today much work in adult literacy is being done by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). One such agency is the Food Resource Bank. In section 7.4, �The Relief and Development Department�, this organisation names Nkhoma Synod as a partner. Food Resource Bank operates in five districts in Central Malawi, Nkhoma Synod�s jurisdiction. They report having 128 literacy workers and 3,991 learners in adult literacy. Literacy Training Centres received materials from Adult Literacy Offices in three districts. Adult literacy classes involved 800 people � 758 women and only 42 men.
Another NGO doing literacy work in Malawi is a British organisation, Christian Aid. It reports that,
Christian Aid�s work in the region covers seven countries � Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and includes a southern Africa regional programme. It supports 72 partner organisations, among them local community groups, non-governmental organisations and church-related development bodies. These promote sustainable agriculture, provide safe drinking water, teach adult literacy, support soil and water conservation projects and develop small business training initiatives. The impact of local programmes is increased by regional organisations operating across national boundaries (italics are the researcher�s) (Christian Aid 2004).
Another organization is Feed the Minds. It is working with Nkhoma Synod through the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC).
The MCC aims to improve inter-church communication by establishing a Communications Department. This will seek ways to improve communication so that the churches receive and disseminate information with a view to being relevantly engaged in issues of human development (Feed the Minds 2004).
Thus we have seen how after independence the Synod lost much of its traditional role in education. However, it continues to play an important part in the war against illiteracy. It is a war in which church and state � along with the NGOs � act as allies.

5.4 EDUCATION FOR WOMEN
This section illustrates how various sources; the Synod, Government, NGOs, the �Partners� of South Africa (see chapter thirteen) and others, come together to achieve a particular goal. In this case, the goal is expanded educational opportunities for women.
At the meeting of the GMSC in Cape Town 22-24 June 1969 it was noted that important work was being done at the Home Domestic Schools at Lilongwe and Malingunde. It was stated that this work was becoming increasingly popular among housewives, and appreciation was expressed for the work of Miss M. Strydom who returned to South Africa in poor health after many years of service.
At the meeting of the GMSC in Cape Town 22-24 June 1969, there was a discussion about starting a secondary school for girls at Mlanda. There was no such school in the area. The vice-minister of education enquired of Nkhoma Synod whether it would take this responsibility; as there were already some buildings in place that only needed restoring. The MMSC in Cape Town decided to request more information, but the Mission Financial Sub-Committee decided that it was unable to provide the requested R 1,032.
The Synod in 1985 announced the projected opening of Mlanda Girls� Secondary School as being the 1985/86 session, which actually opened for classes on 16 November 1987. It had been 19 years earlier, in 1968 that Nkhoma Synod first conceived of the project. In 1975 the Joint Financial Committee budgeted MK 20,736 for the proposed school, but in 1977 the Synod reduced this amount to MK 5,000 due to financial constraints. At a December 1978 Synodical meeting it was decided to assess congregations, teachers and ministers in order to raise the needed money. Renovations, using local personnel and with no expatriate participation, were begun in May 1980. Setbacks in the project were experienced. In October 1980 some materials were stolen, and then about 10 days later more materials were lost due to rain damage. Then, the Ministry of Education refused to endorse the opening of the schools because of the poor condition of the buildings. In 1983 Rev. WR Kawale conceived the idea of involving chiefs, headmen, church elders, and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) local leaders in the project. That year construction began using local labour; it was arranged that on given days, two villages would donate labour towards the school. In 1984 inspectors from the Ministry of Education expressed to Kawale satisfaction over the progress being made. Mr. JD Msosa, then Education Secretary General for the Christian Council of Malawi presented a request to the Ministry of Education that the school be allowed to open. The first headmaster, Mr. GM Retief, arrived in July 1987. He had served as headmaster of the Robert Blake Secondary School for Boys for 17 years. The Nkhoma Synod officially opened the school at a ceremony on 16 January 1988, and on 15 January 1991 the Ministry of education gave grant-aided status to the school (Kawale 1998: 1-6).
In connection with the opening of this school, a number of organizations contributed. First, the Nkhoma Synod donated MK 60,000, and this was used to purchase school materials and building supplies. From South Africa the Narollah Trust donated MK30,000 for a new hostel, plus MK 10,000 for a kitchen and another MK 10,000 for teaching materials. From Zimbabwe the Beit Trust donated MK 30,000 for a home economics block. From the Christian Service Committee came MK 40,000 for the water supply.
The school received more donations when it opened its doors. On 20 April 1988 the Schimmel Pennick Campbell Education Trust in Harare donated K 9,500 for building materials and other equipment such as sewing machines. On 29 April 1988 Dr. Martin Dent from the University of Keile (sic) in the United Kingdom donated K 2000 for the establishment of a Bursary Fund for the needy students. On 20 February 1987 Old Mutual donated K 17000 for the renovations of a Library. The school also received K 34,000 from Schimmel Penninick (sic) Campbell Education Trust on 28 June 1985 for renovation of the Library. On 17 October 1991 Beit Trust donated several textbooks. On 18 January 1993 the E.Z.E. from Germany donated K 179,000 for the security fence (K 62,000) for water filtration plant (K 50,000), for concrete water reservoir (K 60,000) and for power line to the water pump (K 60,000). On 7 June 1993 the Ambassador of the United States of America donated K 28,000 for teachers houses. On 14 December 1989 Beit Trust donated K50,000 for science block and on 26 May the Schimmel Penninick (sic) Campbell foundation donated twenty thousand US dollars for scince (sic) laboratory. The Ducth (sic) Reformed Church Mission (DRCM) donated a computer on 21 February 1994. In July 1998 Africa venture (sic) donated K 47,000 for a hostel (Kawale 1998: 6).
The construction and opening of this particular school, Mlanda Girls� Secondary School, has been highlighted in order to illustrate the delays and difficulties that projects of this sort often face in Malawi. The Synod made further decisions in the area of education in 1991. It expressed a desire to open a girls� secondary school at Chintembwe, �as soon as funds are available.�
In 1990 Nkhoma Secretary Rev. Winston R. Kawale (now the General Secretary) gave the following summation on �Women Education�.
Nkhoma Synod has also been involved in the women education (sic). During the early years, the wives of the teachers joined their husbands at the College and received some training. In the same way, the wives of the students studying to become evangelists or pastors, received special training at their school which was known as Yoswa. Later a school for girls planning to get married was opened at Malingunde. A School at Lilongwe, catered for the married women.
At all these schools the women studied bible Knowledge, Hygiene, domestic Science, Child Care or Welfare, Nutrition, Christian Leadership and Elementary school subjects for those who had no formal education.
Unfortunatey during the 1970s the Malingunde and Lilongwe schools closed and due to the move of the Theological college to Zomba Yoswa School closed too. However, the Malingunde School is to be re-opened soon. Renovation work is underway and Miss Anna Marie de Klerk has been appointed the Headmistress.
The curriculum will have to be revised to suit the present women needs (sic) and the school will be called Malingunde Womens Training School (Kawale 1990: 9).
In 1991 Miss Anna Marie de Klerk along with her Malawian colleague Ednes Kagundu was made responsible for the Malingunde Women�s Training School. By 1999 it had trained 12 groups of 20 women each in six-month courses.
At the beginning of 2000 Mr. Lester Chikoya became the headmaster of Malingunde Women�s Training School. He took over upon the resignation of Ms. Anna Marie de Klerk.   He resigned in 2003.
And so one can see cooperation among several agencies. Nkhoma Synod has had to learn how to cooperate with others in order to achieve goals in such areas as education for women, and education in general.

5.5 VOCATIONAL TRAINING
When that inter-agency cooperation is lacking, for whatever reason, some programmes and institutions of Nkhoma Synod can suffer. Such has been the case in the area of vocational training which has long been a concern of Nkhoma Synod. The existence in 1962 of Malingunde Homecraft Centre and the School for the Blind at Kasungu has already been mentioned.
As in the case of other areas, vocational training needs contributions from outside sources. At the 1977 General Synod meeting, Nkhoma Synod reported the following regarding its vocational training:
Regretably (sic), the Lilongwe Homecraft Centre was closed for nearly 2 years due to lack of staff, and the Malingunde Homecraft Centre is presently closed due to lack of funds.
The Synod in 1979 reported that it was still searching for a donor for the Malingunde Homecraft Centre. There was, however, a Lilongwe Homecraft Centre operating with 17 students.
In late 1984 there was an expression of determination to go ahead with the establishment of a �Domestic School� at Namoni Katengeza (Chongoni).
The money which is kept by Christian Council should be made available so that we can start with the building of this School although the funds may be totally inadequate. The General Secretary should also get hold of all the agreements and conditions concerning this school so that we may know what to do.
Sometimes ambitions run ahead of possibilities. The Domestic School at Namoni Katengeza �never materialized�, says today�s CCAP General Secretary YA Chienda.
An April 1985 meeting of the Moderamen illustrates how the Synod has seen education, agriculture and literature as working hand-in-hand, rather than entirely independently. This meeting decreed the starting of agricultural work at both Malingunde and Dzenza, where Synod secondary schools are located, and that the office of education secretary be established, with his office at Malingunde. At the same time the treasurer was to apply for a license for a bookshop as soon as a suitable building was found, and directed the General Secretary to coordinate with the government regarding the opening of Mlanda Girls� Secondary School.
Slightly later in 1985 the decision was made to close down the Homecraft Centre at Lilongwe. It was to be relocated, however, at Malingunde.
Having noticed that the school building and other buildings at Malingunde have been repaired, The Committee decided that the Homecraft Centre at Lilongwe should be moved to Malingunde as soon as all buildings are repaired. The Committee asks Revv. (sic) Kham�nkhwani and Burger to write a report about all the things needed to open the centre at Malingunde. This report will be presented to the Moderamen for discussion and the recommendations will be presented to the Synodical Committee in October.
The committee did this because it realized that the buildings a Malingunde were deteriorating because they were not used. They also thought that the buildings of the present Homecraft Centre at Lilongwe could be used for other purposes.
In 2004, the buildings that once housed the Lilongwe Homecraft Centre are indeed being used �for other purposes�. They have been renovated in order to accommodate the new conference centre, and is adjacent to the Lilongwe CCAP.
In 1989 the headmaster of Chilanga School for the Blind, RJ Bemeani, wrote a summary of that institution�s history; it was published in Kuunika. Nkhoma�s first Education Secretary, Mr. JL Pretorius, and a blind Malawian, Mr. Wilson Mshane, started Chilanga in 1952. The following year the Provincial Commissioner for the Centre, Keppel Compton, donated �3,000 for the construction of several buildings. When in 1963 the school was promoted to �senior school,� no more pupils were sent to Magwero in Zambia for higher primary education, as before. In 1966 nine pupils sat for standard eight examinations for the first time; five passed. In 1967, for the first time a girl, Mercy Muonjeza, was selected for secondary school. She became a teacher. In 1971 seven pupils sat for examinations and all passed. Out of these a girl, Rabecca Manjawira, became a teacher at the Kamuzu Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre at Magomero. She went to Britain for a two-year diploma course, and returned to the Centre. Beginning in 1982, at the request of Nkhoma Synod, The Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM) began to financially assist the school. CBM �s contributions built eight new hostels with a capacity for eighty students, a kitchen and dining hall, and an electric water pump. There were pipes running to the hostels and to the teachers� houses. Other supporters included the Malawian Government, Nkhoma Synod, the Lions Club of Lilongwe, members of the DRC in South Africa, and �an individual from West Germany who sends us used clothes.�
Writing in 1990, Education Secretary Rev. (now Dr.) Winston R. Kawale summarized the vocational training of Nkhoma Synod up to that point.
In this field Nkhoma Synod was involved in the field of local industry which included among others the following: Basket- and cane work, brickmaking, Tile making, Carpentry, pottery General machanics (sic) & Plumbing, bricklaying, Plastering, roofing, painting and Agriculture.
The Nkhoma Mission Schools became known for their emphasis on agriculture and brick and tile making. At a certain stage young people were also trained in bootmaking and shoe repairs, soap and oil production, tailoring, etc. Basket making, weaving, plating and inlaid work continues to-day in a number of villages, near the Mission stations.
Some of the most magnificent buildings at Nkhoma, Kongwe, and Mvera were built by people who received every bit of their training while their were building. The bricks and tiles were made by hand on the site. Some of the Industrialists have become legends so to speak in their own life time. Mr. Joshua Mwale, was highly skilled in ivory inlaid work, he managed a carpentry shop where scores of trainee carpenters in the past learned this skill under his watchful eye.
The most important lesson which emerged from the history of non-formal education in Nkhoma Synod is the great heights of efficiency and skilfulness which were reached by some for, which no recognition was given in the form of a certificate or diploma. Mr. R.T. Sambani so ably managed the Printing Department for many years and knew printing process. Mr. Chikuse became an expert in roof construction. Mr. Joseph Chitedze at the garage could repair anything in a vehicle or a water pump and was also an expert welder. Mr. Gersom Chipwaira typed the manuscript of the whole Chichewa Bible translation (Kawale 1990:7).
Much of the work described by Kawale has been taken over by the Relief and Development Department. This was established by the Synod in 1990 (see section 7.5).
Nkhoma Synod in 1991 reminded the Education Committee that all employees working in Synod departments, such as garage, print shop, etc., should be sufficiently trained. It stipulated that whenever there was work that required special qualifications, a person, or persons should be selected and sent out to receive the needed training.
In a continuing effort to keep up with advances in technology, Nkhoma Synod endeavoured in 2003 to establish a computer school known as the Nkhoma Synod Computer School.   It has been previously shown, that in its 2000 report to the CCAP General Synod, Malingunde Women�s Training Centre and Chilanga School for the Blind were listed as institutions owned and operated by the Synod. Thus, in the area of vocational training, one can see a multi-faceted approach that has continued throughout the period of autonomy. Vocational training is also part of the document known as the �CCAP Policy and Strategic Plan 2000-2010�.
There is a growth in need and demand for vocational education. Skills and knowledge to enable young people and adults make a living as wage earners or by self-employment as a means of alleviating poverty and building independence. The Church sees that it has a role to play in this area through training programmes, which enhance the quality of vocational education and take an innovative approach to the range of skills and learning opportunities available to trainees.

5.6 TEACHER TRAINING
It has been previously shown how Government intervention affected such diverse areas as education for Muslim children, chilangizo, and the status of �assisted� and �unassisted� schools. Perhaps nowhere in the field of education has the activity of Government been so deeply felt as in the area of teacher training. This affects, for instance, the selection of teachers and candidates for training.
Early in the post-independence era, 1965, the South African personnel of Nkhoma expressed concern over the direction of education in the country. They observed that there was a fundamental change in the �spiritual state of the teachers�. The role of the teacher in the past had always included that of evangelist, which had been considered an integral part of the educational process. However, as early as 1965 the secularisation of Malawian schools was having an observable impact. Nuusbrief Uit Malawi ascribed this alarming shift to the fact that the Mission, which had been disbanded in 1962, had always in the past selected candidates for teacher training, but now this was being done by the Government.
That government intervention was needed at this time can hardly be debated. Nkhoma Synod was having difficulty meeting all of the challenges of its education department. The Education Committee reported in 1966 that there was a widespread shortage of teachers. It also reported, that in all districts new classrooms and local people, following the provision of corrugated iron sheets by District Councils, built teachers� houses.
In the Annual Report of 1966 the William Murray Teaching College reported sixty-two second year and eighty-nine first year students. Although the National college system was expected to come into operation soon, it was intended that existing teacher training colleges would continue. At the same time in-service training for selected qualified teachers was to begin January 1968. Early in 1968 the GAC learned that the Government had put in writing its intention to close the William Murray Institute. However, it could not give a date, nor say what would happen to the buildings.
The challenges of the education department continued. In the 1967 Annual Education Report for Primary Schools, there was reported a shortage of teachers and a number of dilapidated buildings. The Synod appropriated ?100 for repairs. Self-help projects resulted in the building of several new classrooms. There was for the first time a meeting of all Education Secretaries of the Christian Council.
The October 1967 GAC meeting heard that the William Murray Institute was to be closed in a few years� time and replaced by a Government National Training College in Lilongwe. The Committee instructed the General Secretary to enquire of the Education Secretary General of the Christian Council regarding this decision. It also issued an order for investigations as to what was to happen to the buildings and the workers.   The following month the committee heard back from the Education Secretary General. At that point there was no definite decision from the government, only talk that the William Murray Institute was to be closed at the end of 1971. At the same time it was said that they were considering opening up a day secondary school in its place. The same month it was decided to close the Girls� Boarding School at Nkhoma and to use the buildings of that school for dwelling houses for the demonstration schoolteachers.
In its 1967 report, the William Murray Teacher Training College announced that the Demonstration School would be taken over by the Principal of the College effective January 1, 1968. He also was to take over all the duties of the District Education Officer. The school was to be called the �William Murray Demonstration School�. Lack of transport and condition of the buildings were concerns cited by the report.
The Synod in 1972 decided that new schools should not be opened, and if any were, they would be the responsibility of the local communities. If, however, the number of school children increased, then there must be an increase in the number of teachers, and that this should be included in the budget.
The William Murray Teachers Training College was shut down in 1979. A secondary school was established in its place in October of that year. Among the reasons cited was the need for more secondary schools and the establishment of National Teacher Training Colleges (see section 5.7, �Secondary Schools�).
Church and state were not the only participants in education in Malawi. Expatriate organisations have long played an important part. Although the Synod continued to rely upon outside assistance, it never gave up its right to set the terms for receiving it. In 1983 the Presbyterian Church of Ireland sent people to Malawi who expressed interest in teaching at Nkhoma Synod schools. It was intended by the Moderamen that should such teachers do so, they were to follow the same arrangements as those from the DRC. In early 1984 the Presbyterian Church of Ireland sent a letter to Nkhoma Synod requesting that it receive Irish teachers.
During the mid-1980s there was an opening for Nkhoma Synod ministers to teach in secondary schools. One stipulation was that any minister interested in doing so should first notify the Moderamen before personally contacting the Ministry of Education.   One specific minister who in 1985 was given permission to apply to the Ministry of Education was Rev. Malipenga.
The Christian Council of Malawi got involved in teacher training, coming to the assistance of Nkhoma Synod. A 1990 situation illustrates this.
Permission was granted Rev. (CD) Njete could go for a teacher training course. The General Secretary should contact Mr. Msosa the Education Secretary of the Christian Council to lend assistance in finding the opportunity for training by which Rev. Njete could become qualified as a teacher. Should such an opportunity be found, however, Rev. Njete would have to care for his own family, seeing that the Synod had no funds available for such a purpose.
In 1996 (two years into the new post-Kamuzu Banda era of government), DRC personnel in Malawi, with the Moderamen of Nkhoma Synod, held a meeting and made plans for several areas, including education and teacher training. The goals that they formulated were to be achieved by the year 2000.
These plans included:
� At least one project per year would be planned to train and equip teachers in their duties in spiritual instruction.
� At least two youth workers would be utilised for �professional and pastoral service in schools.�
� The headmistress of Malingunde Women�s Training School was to be a Malawian.
To what extent have these goals been achieved? There was progress towards the goals, although some of them were not achieved within the period or not achieved at all or only partially achieved.
Teachers were equipped through Foundation for Christ-Centred Education from SA. This course lasted about one month and was conducted at least two times at Chongoni.
The following is from a summary produced by Malawians regarding the effects on education following the end of the Kamuzu Banda regime.
When the Banda regime came to power in 1964, it set nationalisation of primary education as one of its priorities. This created a new demand for more teachers. In meeting this demand, there were created two levels of teacher training, T3 based on 2 years of secondary education and T2 based on �O� level education. Inspectors went out from the Ministry of Education and visited the classrooms. Almost all teachers in this era had two years� training. Teacher morale was high and they served as role models for the community. Discipline was maintained in the classroom. Teaching was teacher oriented, but the teaching process was effective. On the down side, students were not encouraged to think analytically, and girls especially were not encouraged to continue with their education. When the new regime came to power in 1994, education was redirected. Free primary education was mandated, and primary enrolment went from 1.9 million to 3.2 million. The government introduced the Malawi Integrated In-service Teacher Education Programme (MIITEP). Teachers are grouped into cohorts and each cohort goes to the teacher training colleges during holidays. They are supposed to be helped by headmasters, mentor teachers and Primary Education Advisors (PEA). Teacher Development Centres (TDC) are spread across the country to add field support. The Malawi School Support Systems Programme (MSSSP) funded by Britain�s Department For International Development (DFID) implements this approach. Community school committees were establish to install discipline. School uniforms were abolished. The government achieved its goal of making primary education more accessible. However the PEAs now seldom visit, and teacher performance has suffered. Absenteeism among both students and teachers has become a problem. Teachers are spending too little time in their teaching duties; many have to supplement their incomes with secondary jobs. Among the students, while 22.67% passed their �O� levels in 1997, on 13.67% did so in 1999. A February 2001 evaluation in Mangochi, Balaka and Blantyre revealed that most students had poor English and math skills (Kamangua & Kasambara 2001).
At the time of this dissertation, there are six teacher-training colleges currently operating in Malawi. The universities at Zomba and Mzuzu and African Bible College also produce teachers.
The possibility of a Teachers� Training College for Nkhoma Synod remains alive. In 1992 the Education Committee was asked to study the feasibility of such an undertaking.
The issue was referred to the Education Committee of the Synod for an appraisal of the possibilities. Their recommendations should be offered to the Moderamen for further action.
Nkhoma Synod wants to start a university, and the first degree that it will offer will be one in education. Even after that, it is felt that it will still need a Teachers� Training College to serve the needs of primary schools.

5.7 SECONDARY SCHOOLS
The 1967 Annual Report of the Robert Blake School sounded a note of alarm. It said that while finances remained good, there were disciplinary problems that made the expulsion of some older students necessary. In the Cambridge School Certificate examination, 12 out of 59 failed; in the Junior Certificate examination, 21 out of 56 failed. In the previous section we saw how as early as 1965, the South African personnel expressed concern over the �spiritual state of the (government-selected) teachers�. Therefore, the Robert Blake Report of 1967 suggests developing problems among both student body and faculty.
Along with deficiencies among faculty and the students, the physical condition of the schools could also present problems. Throughout this era, there were numerous changes in the configuration of schools. At one time there existed an �Nkhoma Night School�, but this was converted in the mid-1970s to the Nkhoma Malawi Correspondence College Centre.� In January 1978 Principal EH Kawaye informed the Nkhoma Synod Education Secretary that at that point the Nkhoma MCC Centre had 96 boys and girls in Forms I and II. He included a request for dorms, electricity, water pipes, and housing for a teacher.
Whatever the deficiencies in the students, the teachers, and the physical properties, there could still be posted positive results. For example, in October of 1979 the secondary school which replaced the William Murray Teachers College (see section 5.6, �Teacher Training�) started with 54 Form I students. In the second term 60 Form II students were added, making a total of 114. Most of the teaching staff at the old teachers� college got reassigned to other schools and colleges. At the Robert Blake Secondary School there were 16 teachers, 74 out of 87 students passed their MCE, 89 out of 91 got their Junior Certificates, and 37 went on to the University of Malawi.
Fifteen years after the Kamuzu Banda government with its secular agenda for schools came to power; Nkhoma Synod was still a force in the field of education. At the end of 1979 Nkhoma Synod had 98 unassisted schools with 6,905 pupils and 123 teachers. There were 236 assisted schools with 37,859 pupils and 1,004 teachers. Youth work was continuing at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School, Likuni Girls Secondary School, Likuni Boys Secondary School, Mitundu Secondary School, and Bwaila Secondary School. The Synod was still searching for a youth minister to work in the congregations.
In 1980, there was received an offer for help with teachers from abroad. �Organisations in America and Holland� offered to send teachers for Nkhoma Synod secondary schools. The Moderamen responded positively to the offer, but stipulated that the sending bodies must supply their salaries and all of their needs.   Secondary school teachers from abroad carry the advantages of not needing to be paid, plus they come trained; there is no cost to the Synod. However, the negative aspect is that they are unfamiliar with the language and the customs. There has not been over the years a flood of foreign teachers.
In 1982, Nkhoma Synod submitted the following report to the CCAP General Synod:
The Synod (Nkhoma) has two Secondary Schools, one is Robert Blake School at Kongwe and another is William Murray Secondary School at Nkhoma. The latter was Teacher�s Training College which phased out at the end of the 1979 academic year. Both are progressing very well under the Headship of Mr. G.M. Retief at Kongwe and Mr. F.E. Phiri at William Murray.
Through the 1980�s, the Synod was challenged to maintain a viable education programme. In 1983 the Synod received a report from its Education Committee that listed a number of problems:
1. Laxness of the school committees in some schools.
2. Bad conduct of some of the teachers
3. Smallness of teachers� houses.
4. Shortage of teachers.
5. Insufficient funds voted for the Education Department.
6. Smallness of classrooms and schools.
In 1984 the Synod was still in control of Robert Blake Secondary School at Kongwe and William Murray Secondary School at Nkhoma, both being boys� schools. The Synod anticipated that in 1985 they would open up the girls� secondary school at Mlanda. The Synodical Mission Commission in Cape Town was requested to provide the principal as well as one or two teachers. The Synod stated that they would like South Africans to be in charge of the school. The Synod expressed a sense of loss when the Education Secretary for the Synod, Rev. JGM Maseko, was appointed as head of projects for the Christian Council of Malawi. Rev. (now Dr.) Winston R. Kawale was shortly to prove to be a worthy successor.
The symbiotic relationship between various agencies besides the Synod continues, even in the new dispensation of secularisation. For example, in a 1995 letter from Nkhoma Synod Education Secretary HY Hara to the Mission Secretary of the DRC in Cape Town, a number of personnel needs were listed, intended to be filled by South Africans:
Robert Blake Secondary School needed teachers for English, geography, and mathematics. Mvera Private Secondary School needed a married couple �the man to teach geography or math, and the woman to teach domestic science and be a matron. Mlanda Girls� Secondary School needed a lady teacher to teach domestic science. William Murray Secondary School required two teachers: one for biology and mathematics, and one for physical science and Bible knowledge.
As recently as 1999 Nkhoma Synod�s South African personnel noted that there were 710 schools (including 76 secondary schools) �under its influence�, with five being �national Secondary Schools� and the rest �Community Secondary Schools�. Nuusbrief Uit Malawi (Newsletter From Malawi) noted, �the system does not always work so well.� The Church by then had three private high schools: a girls� school at Mvera, a boys� school at Nkhoma (William Murray) and a day school at Msonkhamanja in Lilongwe. In addition, there was Robert Blake for boys and a girls� school at Mlanda. In 1998 William Murray became a private school (see 5.9, �Education and Fiscal Issues�).
Education and community self-help projects go hand-in-hand in Malawi. The congregation at Mziza CCAP recently were heavily involved in developing a secondary school. Along the way they asked the Commission for Witness for   MK200,000 to complete the project.
In 2002 the Synod considered the building of two new private secondary schools, one in Lilongwe, and the other at Kasungu.   The same year, an �Nkhoma Synod University� was proposed.
The decade of the nineties proved to be a pivotal one for Nkhoma Synod�s Education Department. The government relieved them of much of their former responsibility. However, neither Nkhoma Synod nor the CCAP has abdicated their commitment to education; it has simply begun to focus on a small number of church-owned private schools. This development parallels the experience of denominations elsewhere in the world.

5.8 THE CHALLENGE OF MULTI-FAITH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Nowhere is the Malawi government�s drive for secularisation seen more dramatically than in the area of religious education. While several generations of Malawians were confronted with the claims of Christianity through the vehicle of education, the contemporary scene is vastly altered.
At the beginning of the period under study, 1962 to 2004, religious education was still quite under the control of Nkhoma Synod. At the 1967 Annual Education Report for Primary Schools, religious education was emphasized, and a new syllabus for religious instruction was due to be out by year�s end.
The continuing shortage of teachers that affected all aspects of education left its mark on religious education. The 1972 Synod meeting expressed concern that there were no teachers of religious studies in the schools. It was therefore determined that this matter would be discussed further at the next Synod meeting.
In 1985 ministers were permitted to teach religious education in secondary schools operated by the Synod. The Moderamen had the authority to select such ministers, and they were to serve as co-ministers at the congregations where the schools were located.
Ten years after independence, the Synod was still very much involved in religious instruction in public schools. In 1974 The Synod�s Education Secretary, Mr. DK Store complained to the Education Secretary General of the Christian Council about the Roman Catholic generated religious education syllabus (�many lessons do not give the Bible Story from the Bible�).
Twenty years after independence, the Synod saw Government as its ally in the field of religious education. At its 1983 meeting, the Synod declared that the Ministry of Education was responsible for allowing Bible knowledge to be taught in public schools. Synod further asked pastors to look after the spiritual needs of their school-age children, and if they had time, to talk to headmasters about teaching the Bible in these public schools.
Entering decade of the nineties, a changing picture regarding religious education began to emerge. In 1990 the General Synod�s Educational Committee presented a report that featured nine concerns:
1. The General Synod �pleads� with the Ministry of Education and culture to stop introducing the new religious Education syllabus in Primary Schools.
2. It sought permission from the Government to develop a Christian Education curriculum in schools.
3. That General synod consider opening a teacher�s training college with an emphasis upon teaching Christian education.
4. That Primary Schools be visited by chaplains, youth workers, and pastors.
5. That General Synod teach teachers and ministers on �the proprietorship of church schools.�
6. That there be a discreet teaching about AIDS in the schools, bearing traditional culture in mind.
7. The constituent Synods should �cater� for development projects and for teachers in their education budgets.
8. That General Synod should encourage parachurch organisations such as SCOM and Scripture Union to be involved in the schools.
9. That General Synod should promote Christian values in secondary schools.
The coming of the UDF government in 1994 forever changed the character of Religious Education in Malawi�s public schools. Before that year, RE was a course in Bible knowledge, and the Bible was used as a textbook. Since that time, says Nkhoma Synod�s Rev. Michael Khombe, it has �been diluted� into a course on �simple knowledge� of various faiths.
The �Teachers� Guide for Standard 5� published in 1996 by the Malawi institute of Education is very revealing. Among its contributors are UNICEF and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It gives equal treatment to Malawian Traditional Religion, Christianity, and Islam. Essential elements of Christian training such as the Resurrection have been left out all together. On page 152 (the end of the curriculum), in describing Peter�s speech in Acts 2, it says, �But God raised this Jesus.� In listing religious holidays, Christmas is mentioned, but not Easter. Jesus is a prophet and a teacher, but so is Muhammad. At no point is Jesus declared to be the �Son of God�. The curriculum includes eight �Topics�:
1. Names of God
2. Happiness
3. A happy Christmas and Eid-li-fitri
4. Bravery and courage
5. Fire
6. Teachers and teaching
7. Writings of the Bible and the Hadith
8. Worshipping together
The Teacher is furnished with suggested activities with each Topic. Under the first, students are to recite names of Allah using rosaries, and to compose a prayer thanking Allah for making his names known. Under Topic six they are instructed to recite �There is no God but Allah (and) Muhammad is Allah�s Messenger.� The �Five Pillars� of Islam are briefly but thoroughly explained. Of course, Muslim pupils must engage in discussion about the contents of the Bible. Also included are the traditional Malawian myths, such as the creation myth. Overall, the aim seems to be the teaching of ethics and morality. The story of Jesus on the cross is to be followed by a discussion of school bullying (Chingota 1996: 1-157).
Malawi was declared a �Secular State� by Parliament in 2001, says Nkhoma Synod�s Rev. M. Khombe, chairman of the Synod�s Missions Committee. This, he says, has not affected missions and evangelism.   It has nevertheless, affected religious education.
The agricultural college at Bunda is part of the University of Malawi system. In 2003 a concerned Moderamen Committee learned of the creation of a �CCAP Students� Organization� there. They directed that Mr. Veitch and Rev. Kachipapa go to Bunda and investigate. Nkhoma Synod seldom welcomes those things, which they themselves did not inaugurate, perhaps with some justification.   In this case, Bunda students were baptising each other, and in the name of Jesus only, rather than the familiar �Father, Son, and Holy Ghost�.
Groups like SCOM and the Roman Catholics, says Rev. M. Khombe, can work with schools after school hours, but headmasters will not allow teachers to share faith. Consequently, the CCAP has established in Lilongwe a secondary school. The Muslims let it be known that they were planning to build a mosque at Nkhoma, so the public school there was converted into a private one. Other denominations are also building private schools, in response to the government�s determined policy of secularisation.
In October-November 2000, the Standing Committee of the General Synod met to plan a new constitution to replace the one that had been in effect since 1956. It has also outlined approaches to various problems facing the CCAP and the nation. This was called a Ten-Year Strategic Plan. From that CCAP Ten-Year Strategic Plan of 2000-2010 regarding education:
Some of the Synods own schools that are �CCAP� schools in name only, as the teachers are paid and trained by the government and teach a national curriculum. CCAP influence is limited. In some synods school chaplaincy work continues, and there is a �CCAP Student Organization�. However, the schools� physical condition is deplored and the 2000 Strategic Plan questions the morale and competency of the teachers. Furthermore, the government�s stated intention of handing some schools back to the churches has created an �ownership uncertainty� which has led to further deterioration of schools. The report goes on to say that the phasing out of boarding schools has caused some girls to turn to prostitution to pay for housing, and that cheating on exams is a problem.
The Strategic Plan calls for a reclamation of the schools on the part of the CCAP, and for their massive refurbishing. The resources for achieving this are to come from �overseas donors�. The �ownership uncertainty� is an issue that needs to be addressed. Finally, the Strategic Plan calls for chaplain to give emphasis to primary as well as secondary and tertiary education.
Religious Education developed by a secular government is very different from the Religious Education that existed when the Synod had more direct control in the public schools. In a case where church and state are saying different things in the realm of spiritual matters, there is the possibility of confusion among the students. Perhaps the chaplains called for in the Strategic Plan can reverse some of the effects of this trend.

5.9 EDUCATION AND FISCAL ISSUES
During the 1960�s, throughout the trend towards the secularisation of schools, money was always a key factor. Nkhoma Synod�s South African personnel described this situation in 1966.
During the past number of years the position of the schools in Nkhoma Synod changed drastically. About 10 years ago we still had more than 800 unassisted schools, compared to the just more than 100 government schools. By the end of 1965, however, the year closed down with us having only 227 unassisted schools, while the government assisted schools counted 168. That means the number of unassisted schools diminished with about 400%, and the government schools increased with 75% . . . different reasons for this changed situation. The government opened a good number of assisted schools in areas which previously could be served only by unassisted schools.
The main reason, however, is finances. Ten years ago the Mission Board budgeted R 24 000 for unassisted schools. This year the GAC could only budget R 2000. From the side of the congregations not much can be expected in this regard, because only 5 of 55 congregations could pay the required Synodical contributions for the Central Fund.
The GAC noted in 1967 that a mission teacher still had not been provided for the Mvera Correspondence College Centre. They asked the DRC in Cape Town to correct this.   Mvera is a very isolated location, perhaps an hour�s drive from Lilongwe; finding a person that was both qualified and willing would be no small task.
Sufficient resources have seldom matched the priority that Nkhoma Synod has given to education. The loss of a single large donor can wreak havoc with Synod�s educational goals. In 1983 the Moderamen learned that the Christian Service Committee was to cut its financial aid to Nkhoma Synod Schools. However, at the same time they learned that the DRC in South Africa had donated   MK 4,997.50 to help in repairing the Dzenza School.
That was not the only source of assistance. Aid was to come from various corners.
The Committee was glad to hear that some of our schools assisted by World Vision International in the Mchinji area, have now been selected to become Government Assisted Schools. The committee thanks World Vision for such work.
Nkhoma Synod continued the tradition of being heavily involved in education. However, this dimension of the life and work of the Synod continued to be plagued by financial woes. Similar to the 1966 Nuusbrief Uit Malawi report, in 1990 Winston R. Kawale, then Education Secretary for Nkhoma Synod, gave the following assessment.
The main problem facing Nkhoma synod in running the schools has been on finances. Although the mission council gave a grant for schoolwork, the money offered was not enough. There was need to obtain funds elsewhere. In 1890 the American Supporters Band was founded. Dr. A.C. Murray sent fifty names of schools to be assisted by the Band. These schools received annual contribution of ?5.00 each. Rev. Liebenburg promoted the assistance by his visits to the United States of America. When he died, the assistance ceased.
When the government was established in 1891, the mission councils in Malawi formed Education Board in 1904. In 1905 the Board presented an application to the government for Grant-in aid, Fortunately, the Government approved a Grant-in-aid of ?1,000 to be distributed to all mission councils evenly. Nkhoma Synod received ?200. Following the Government�s establishment of the Department of Education, Nkhoma Synod received ?700 as a Grant-in aid for her School. This financial assistance continued especially after the opening of Secondary Schools and when the Government was paying all the teachers. When the Government transferred the teachers from Unified Teaching Service to Civil Service in 1977, the churches were asked to remain as proprietors of the schools they established. The churches had to see to it that the religious character of their schools was maintained through their participation in the appointment of Headmasters and representation on the school committees. The schools where the Government assisted by paying teachers� salaries and providing school material were to be known as �Assisted Schools�. At the same time, the churches as Agencies were permitted to open new schools but they were to be responsible for everything including teacher�s salaries. Such schools were to be known as �Unassisted Schools�. By 1990 Nkhoma Synod had 400 assisted Schools and 110 Unassisted Schools.
Although the Synod gives a grant to the Unassisted Schools only, the Synod has been able to secure some financial assistance for the Assistance schools from some organizations such as the Christian Service Committee of Malawi and the World Vision International. These organizations have provided financial support and materials to both Assisted and Unassisted Schools. Some generous people from South Africa have also donated money towards the wages of the teachers in Unassisted Schools (Kawale 1990:13).
In 1991 Synod directed that congregations communicate with the �(Zomba Theological) College� that they wanted their pastors to be taught how to teach. Then, letters from the congregations should be sent to the government informing them of the pastors� teaching qualifications.
And so in an era of official government policy to secularise education, the Synod continues to play a role. In 2004 Nkhoma Synod operates three �private primary schools�: at Mponela, Lilongwe, and at Dedza. It operates several private secondary schools: William Murray for boys, Mvera for girls, and in Lilongwe, Msonkhamanja, which is co-educational. William Murray and Mlanda are boarding schools. In addition, it operates two secondary �government-granted (not private)� schools: Robert Blake for boys, and Mlanda for girls. There is also Mziza Secondary School. The Synod wants to establish more. It also wants to establish an Nkhoma University, and is currently looking for a chancellor. They feel they can make use of currently existing facilities; NIFCOTT could become the school of theology, and the Nkhoma nursing school could also be used (see 5.7, �Secondary Schools�).

5.10 CHAPTER SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The field of education has much to do with answering secondary question number six, �How has the Nkhoma Synod developed theologically and spiritually?� The spiritual state of its school-age children has an enormous impact upon the overall spirituality of the Synod.
Already in 1966 it was reported that whereas the (South African) Mission Board was decreasing its contributions to educations within Nkhoma Synod�s jurisdiction, as there were by then fewer church schools, and more government schools. Another issue going back at least to the sixties has been a shortage of teachers. The transition of the William Blake Teachers� College to a secondary school was a major development. The issue of illiterate catechumens had to be dealt with. An individual can only memorize so much, and in any case memorizing is very different from learning to think analytically. The saga of Mlanda Girls� Secondary School is an excellent illustration of the difficulties encountered in the effort to advance education in Malawi. Shortages of funding and materials, and theft are problems that defy easy solution. The Synod�s calling upon the (government) Ministry of Education to assume its responsibility in teaching religion in public schools in 1983 stands in stark contrast to the multi-faith religious education curriculum of today. The treatment of Christianity as one entr�e on a menu of religions is no doubt of deep concern to the leaders and the parents of Nkhoma Synod.
The partnership between Nkhoma Synod�s Relief and Development Department and various NGOs in adult literacy programmes is an important development (see section 7.5). Just as the Government of Malawi has caused the Synod�s role in public education to diminish, the role in literacy programmes is a reasonable alternative.
Universal free public education has benefited a number of societies. An educated population is more competitive economically and is better equipped to support democratic political institutions. It tends to be a great leveller of society, as children of rich and poor sit in the same classroom and are taught by the same teacher. With free public education, a child need not be denied education because the parents are poor. Church schools cannot guarantee equal access by all. However, secular, public schools are poor transmitters of societal values, and the Western slide into relativism and excessive individualism is a testimony to this effect.
Moreover, in Malawi, where the government has very little tax revenue and is largely dependent upon expatriate donors just as many churches and other institutions are, funding is a continuing problem. The secular government perennially struggles to pay teachers and other members of the civil service. Low pay and impact of HIV/AIDS (see section 7.4) combine to perpetuate a shortage of teachers in public schools. The present researcher has personally witnessed the dilapidated condition of many public schools.
While its role in education has diminished because of the Government takeover of that function, Nkhoma Synod remains committed to the principle of education. This is a time-honoured Presbyterian tradition. There is the Reformed tradition that �All truth is God�s truth. Scotland, the Netherlands, and the United States, heavily influenced by Reformed faith, have all experienced a rise in affluence because of this principle.
Private church schools are being developed to counter the secularising tendencies of the Malawian public school system. Today it is only here that the levelling influences of a secular government cannot intrude. Funding for the Synod�s private schools will perhaps be an issue to which it must give deep attention in the future.
The challenge to Nkhoma Synod now is to create effective youth ministries running parallel to the public education. Chapter 8, which deals with evangelism, highlights the importance that the Synod gives to this field.
Having looked at the general state of education in the Central Region of Malawi, which is Nkhoma Synod�s jurisdiction, the more specific areas of ministerial and church lay leader training will now be examined.

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