Government Introduces ‘Reformed Hardship Support Scheme’ To Teachers In Remotest Areas

Government through  the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) has rolled out a pilot initiative called the Reformed Hardship Support Scheme (RHSS).

According to a press statement issued by the Secretary on April 24, 2025, the scheme is part of the Malawi Education Reform Programme (MERP) and is designed to provide additional financial support to public primary school teachers working in the most remote regions.

According to the statement RHSS eligibility is determined by a categorization system that classifies schools into three groups based on their location and accessibility, Category A (remotest), Category B (moderately remote), and Category C (non-remote).

Under the RHSS, teachers stationed in Category A schools which are classified as remotest will receive a monthly support amounting to MK34,000. This incentive is designed to ease the burden of living and working in isolated areas where amenities are scarce and access to trading centers is limited.

The Ministry clarified that this new pilot scheme will not replace the existing rural hardship allowance of MK10,000, which remains unaffected and continues to benefit all eligible teachers across the country.

The scheme is uniquely structured to ensure transparency it is remitted directly into teachers’ mobile money accounts and is not included in their basic salary. Importantly, the benefit is revoked if a teacher is transferred from a remote to a non-remote school.

As of April 2025, a total of 1,537 Category A public primary schools and 12,624 teachers are benefiting from the RHSS. The initiative is viewed as a strategic effort by the government to attract and retain educators in rural schools, which often struggle with high turnover rates due to challenging living and working conditions.

Teachers and stakeholders have been encouraged to seek more information through their local Primary Education Advisors (PEAs) or District Education Offices.