Malawi education ministry issues stern warning on students rioting

The ministry of education, science and technology has issued a stern warning to students in secondary schools who go on rampage just after registering for their examinations that from now onwards, such candidates will not be allowed to sit for examinations.

Secondary students especially those in form four have been going on rampage, destroying school property whenever disagreement arises between them and the administration and the school authorities suspend them as punishment but the authorities have always been considerate by allowing the students to sit for examinations.

Meanwhile, nine students are in Police custody at Nkhotakota Police after allegedly petrol-bombing a food storeroom at Nkhotakota Secondary School.

Nkhotakota Police Spokesperson Williams Kaponda said the students committed the offence during the night of September 24, 2014.

The food storeroom bombing mission is allegedly to have been accomplished by Davie Mhone 17, Newton Kwadzama  17, Happy Chinkhokwe 17, ,Chisomo Chinzimu 18, Tebulo Zimba 18, Young Chinsalanzo 18, Chawanangwa Banda 18, Pemphero Banda 17, and Gift Longwe 18,

Secretary for Education, MacPhail Magwira,  said in a circular  he signed that all head teachers of secondary schools  should not to allow suspended students to sit for examinations.

“The ministry is also aware, that these cases become rampant in third term after form 2 and form 4 students have registered for their examinations with the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB). The candidates in these forms especially those in form 4, wrongly think that once they have been issued with examination numbers from MANEB then they are no longer obliged to follow school rules and regulations.

“The ministry cannot condone such misbehavior and would like to seriously warn all students and candidates that with immediate effect, any student/candidate participating in riots and vandalism will not be allowed to sit for his/her examinations.

“If the students/candidates decide to riot and vandalise school property when they are done with examinations, it shall follow that such candidates would still be disqualified and MANEB would be instructed not to mark their examination scripts. Let me also reiterate that deliberate damage to school property is a criminal act warranting prosecution,” reads the circular in part.