Civil society demands Malawi govt to implement university unbundling
In a letter to Minister of Education and copied to President Lazarus Chakwera, Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) has asked government to gazette and implement commencement of new universities to be born out of the 1965 University of Malawi.
The letter comes as hard pressure on President Chakwera who wanted to reverse the delinking of University colleges after Parliament passed three laws to create new universities.
According to CSEC, the new universities are already budgeted for in the 2020/21 national budget under the MCP government.
On 20 January, Council of the University of Malawi announced a freeze of the progressive move to create new universities.
But the decision has been quashed and trashed by academics and legal minds as retrogressive and counterproductive.
The decision has drawn critical fire and anger from the public universities and the general public who are hoping for university growth and increased space to accommodate many deserving Malawian youths who are failing to access university education.
Access to university education is projected to jump from 15 000 to 53 000 of total enroll by 2025. Many people are however puzzled as to why the Chakwera administration is fighting to frustrate such a progressive reform that gives more university education to more youths.
Alongside CSEC the umbrella body of the Association of Christian Educators in Malawi met and expressed fear that President Chakwera “will push many youths coming from families of poor Malawians deep into poverty” if his government blocks growth of the universities.
A tip from a member of ACME says they are also planning to write Chakwera.
Law professor Danwood Chirwa has written a comprehensive legal opinion accusing the 20 January decision as lawless and quashing the whole new move as illegal and retrogressive.
In their letter to Chakwera and his government, CSEC has described the attempt the progressive reforms as “arbitrary and unreasonable” because it lacks consultation and any sensible reasoning.
In the letter to Chakwera, Vice President Saulos Chilima who champions the reforms is quoted that “A decision was made to delink the Colleges. I have always said now and then that once we make decisions as a country we must implement them and move on.”
The reform to delink the Colleges are create new universities was first recommended by a MIM report in 1997 and later recommended with emphasis by World Bank in 2016.
Former president Peter Mutharika showed political will and supported the university reforms which Chakwera’s government wants to reverse.
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But the older the university, them more recognition it gets, so you cannot just unbundle the Malawi first university anyhow, it needs to be mature and recognised like Oxford, Harvard, Bologna, London etc
I think you have no or little knowledge of what unbundling means. For argument’s sake, Chancellor College will be the University of Malawi!
Chakwela is a learner, please understand him. He has no experience in running government affairs. Wadziwa panopa kuti Kuyendesa mpingo nzosiyana ndi kuyendesa boma. Iye amaona ngati kuyendesa boma ndi bloodshed ndi mademonstrations. Shame to you fallen man of God.
This is very unfortunate and one of the blunders that this government has done. Delinking Malawi University has many advantages. Just take a look at Bunda. So many programs, increased enrollment, and of course more jobs for lectures and support staff. On the other hand there is an increase in business associated with the University.
Who Bewitched us!
Nanga ngati zakusulu Abusa atoziziwa? Ofunika fasitingi kayetu.
The decision to delink was passed by parliament and the current president was a member of the same. Why the u turn your excellency?Are you under pressure from some ghosts in your party? Poor decisions will cost the Tonse government loss in2025.
2025 sangazawine awa. All their lies are being laid bare.
This government is a disaster
Enrollment will jump from 15 000 to 53 000 by 2025
Ananena kale Atupele kuti a Chakwera sadziwa kuyendetsa boma olo nduna sanakhalepo tiona mbwaza zaka zimenezi.
Anthu omwe amati ndi ozitha zinthu aja ntchito zamanja awo ndi zimenezitu. Mumati angatani ngati zamaphunzirozi akuzidziwa? Kuganizatu abale anga ndi luso – ndipo luso loganiza si aliyense yemwe angakhale nalo. Abale koma anthuwa sangatengere chitsanzo cha LUANAR momwe yatukukira komanso kukula chifukwa kwa “delinking”. Koma abalewa ali konkuno kwathu? Saakuona zomwe zikuchitika ku LUANAR? Funso langa ndi lakuti; kodi Klaus, Brian, Manganya, Joyce, Patricia, Callista, Mkaka, Winiko, Timothy, Trapence, Kamwendo ndi ena akungowayang’ana akuluwa osawathandiza maganizo. Kapena akukuwa ndi amakani eti? – kudya katatu patsiku kwalephereka – kulemba ntchito anthu 1 Million kwalepherela – Community colleges akweza fees –… Read more »
Who is Atupele? The flip floper who has messed up UDF because of personal endeavours?