Malawi suspends fee hike in secondary schools ‘until economy improves’

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has clarified that it has deferred implementation of new fees in public secondary schools this term t following the motion which parliament passed on 3 December, 2015 against it, saying the new higher fees will wait until the economic situation improved.

This follows reports that some schools especially in Nkhotakota and some districts  were collecting new laid down fees arguing that the Ministry of education has not communicated anything regarding the cancellation in implementing the fees.

Ministry of Education spokesperson Rebecca Phwitiko told Nyasa Times that the ministry will not implement the new fee hike following the motion in Parliament.

“The implementation of fee increase in public secondary school has been deffered.  This has been done on the basis of the motion passed in parliament on 3rd December 2015. For students who had already paid the new fees the balance will be carried over to subsequent terms, “said Mphwitiko.

Students in public Schools were paying new fees contrary to what was agreed in Parliament.

Member of Parliament for Salima Central Felix Jumbe moved a motion stopping government from implementing the hiked fees in public Secondary Schools and Tertiary Institutions the matter was well supported and it was sustained.

Jumbe observed that the government can hold until the economic situation improves.

The fees have now everted to K600 (centre fee and modules) in open day secondary schools, K500 (tuition) and K750 (textbook revolving fund and general purpose fund) in district day secondary schools without boarding.

In community day secondary schools (CDSSs) with partial boarding (girls hostels), the fees will remain in the range of K25 000 to K35 000 (boarding), K500 (tuition) and K750 (textbook revolving fund and general purpose fund).

Students in district day secondary schools with partial boarding will pay between K25 000 and K35 000 (boarding fees), K500 (tuition fees) and K750 (textbook revolving fund and general purpose fund), according to MoEST.

In district boarding secondary schools, the fees will be in the range of K25 000 and K35 000 (boarding), K500 (tuition) and K750 (textbook revolving fund and general purpose fund) while national grant-aided secondary schools will maintain the K55 000 (boarding fees), K500 (tuition fees) and K750 (textbook revolving fund and general purpose fund).

In September last year, MoEST announced that school fees in public secondary schools would be raised to improve the quality of education, but some parents and guardians expressed concern that the hike was too much and ill-timed.