Kasungu students riot, Police fire teargas
Few days to Form Two’s writing their Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations, Kasungu Secondary School officials had no choice but close the school with immediate effect after Form Four’s led a vandalizing of school property.
Head Master, Bishop Chirwa, who had just stayed at the school for two months after his transfer from Katoto Secondary School in Mzuzu, said school has been left in a poor state and his house was also vandalised.
An administration official told Nyasa Times the students went on rampage destroying school infrastructure and property after the Education Division officials threatened they would close it if cases of misbehavior continued at one of Malawi’s oldest schools in the central region.
“Students here are rude and they underrate school authorities. When the head teacher cautioned them and sent some on suspension, the students demanded that he leaves the school. This was when the Education Division officials were requested to come and settle the matter,” she explained.
When this effort failed and the students threatened to cause havoc, the Division officials called the police to help evacuate the students last on Tuesday.
“But they changed their mind and let the students stay. It is surprising at night that the students, led by Form Fours, started to vandalize the school. The police was called back and all students ran away and slept in the forest,” she added.
The morning of Wednesday when most of the junior forms students and some Form Fours returned, the authorities demanded everyone to write a report and identify ring leaders. They all refused forcing authorities to close the school with immediate effect and ask every student to return next week Monday with a K20,000 to be used for refurbishing.
Parents of Form Twos especially have bemoaned the incident, wondering if JCE examinations will be sat at the school, but a school official told Nyasa Times the authorities are doing everything to ensure examinations are written.
“Why should we be paying for sins committed by Form Fours? They should expel the involved students and let the others enjoy their education rights. This is a very sad development. Where are we going to get all that money to pay by Monday?” moaned one of the parents of a Form Two student, opting for anonymity.
Form Twos will sit their JCE test from around 19th June and Form Fours some weeks later.
This is not the first time students have misbehaved at the school.
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