Mulanje pupils force school closure, protest against corporal punishment

Government has come in quickly to transfer a primary school headmaster and his deputy after pupils protested against corporal punishment and other harassment and forced the school to close for a week now.

Pupils at Thawale 2 primary school in Mulanje alleged their head teacher Hudson Malefula, his deputy Andrew Makalichi and some teachers of administering corporal punishment, forcing pupils to drink mucus, force them eat insects and laziness as the school has not done well in primary school leaving certificate examination.

But teachers have vehemently denied these allegations. District Education Manager Kossam Mafuta said the head teacher and his deputy were told to leave the school for safe places as some parents and villagers threatened to deal with them.

He said he is in touch with the education headquarters in Lilongwe to transfer the two two from Thawakle.

He said it was unfortunate that the school had been closed for six days no.

“We went there on Monday to try to sort out the problem. We wanted to meet the teachers and parents through PTA but the community started stoning us. police had to use teargas to disperse them,” said Mafuta.

Corporal punishment is outlawed in the Republican Constitution