Ombudsman tells ministry officials off secondary school selection probe
Ombudsman Martha Chizuma has told ministry of Education off the investigations into how the selection into public secondary school selection was done.
There has been concerns that the accused, the ministry of Education wanted to use the office of the Ombudsman as cover up after the principal secretary in the ministry ordered a probe in the matter within four months
But Chizuma said her office will not allow any external interference in its probe into the selection process of primary school learners to public secondary schools.
This follows a backlash from the public on how this year’s selection has been unbalanced across regions as some section of society say the central region, where president Lazarus Chakwera and most of the ruling Tonse alliance officials come from, was favoured highly against the north and the south.
Following the outcry, government said the ombudsman will now carry out a four month long probe into the process.
Chizuma said they will not bow down to any form of pressure during the investigation.
Chizuma has since said her office is much prepared to conduct the probe and that the results will be out within the given time frame.
However, education expert Benedicto Kondowe has faulted government for constituting an inquiry into the Form 1 selection without suspending the results.
Kondowe, has said the decision would have been made when the results are suspended to pave way for the investigation.
Listen to me my good people:
If you can check, those from the so called southern region. You will find pupils whose origin are from the central and the North. The same is with those from the central and the North. Why should we fight, we are all Malawians. I am from the south, grew up in the central and got my education in the North, I am a Malawian.. Shalom
Mmalawi muno muli vuto limodzi lomwe mtundu wina wa anthu umakhulupilira kuti Ndi wanzeru kuposa mitundu Ina yomwe ili mdziko muno. ndiye pakakhala kuti mtundu wina wa anthu wachita bwino kuposa iwo amadabwa ndikumati awa akhoza bwanji pomwe oyenela kukhoza amayi ndi iwo, so pa izi ndamvera press ya ministry of education, adafotokoza bwino momveka bwino, palibe quarter yomwe yachitika. Mind set change ikufunika, Tonse ndife ofanana palibe mtundu oposa unzake munzeru ndipo zimenezi muzidziwe. Munena bwanji kuti mayeso sanayende bwino yet ena mayeso omwewo akhoza mumafuna kuti akhoze ndi any? Musayiwale kuti boma lapita linkasankha Ana mu njira ya… Read more »
I have always avoided commenting on this issue because of how emotional others because and how sensitive the comments are to some. My humble contribution today is like this. All of us want merit to prevail in all issues of the national interest. Do we have indicators that can show if merit has been used or not? Another point is let us remove all preconceived ideas of what is going to happen when merit has been used.
This is issue of regions is really bad. Yes we know it is normal to have regions. In Zambia they are called provinces and in UK they are there. They have north west, North East etc but all are treated equally. We must simply have district schools with good facilities. The National Schools should be turned into district schools. There is a notion that National schools are better that other schools. The teachers and teaching materials matter. The Ministry of Education has people who have run out of ideas. The cadets who are hell minded.
New selection formula that combines merit with equity. For each secondary school:
70% of places for local kids from district, 20% from the region
10% from any place in the country
P/S. It doesn’t make sense having, say for example, Dzedza Secondary School full of students from distant places when we have kids loitering in Area 25 and Kanengo with no secondary to go to.
I doubt the inquiry will yield a different outcome. The problem of harbouring preconceived mindset as to who which region will dominate in a merit race. Zavuta apa. Nyolonyo nayo yinaswa bukhu mwakathithi.
Atumbuka musatibowe. There is no way selection would be doctored when the process itself involves people from all the regions in the country. All you think is that northerners are the only people to be selected. You would find it normal if the results showed that northerners have been selected more. I think you are a bunch of stinking tribe. You need mind set change.
Shambzya, you are very stupid and you need mindset change yourself! why are you so afraid, so scared of the investigation?
mwana wa hule iwe sudziwa kwanu……… ask you father to show you ur dad and you will know where you are from
The more things change, the more they remain the same. Political machinations to put one region at an advantage. This is opening the way for opposition to bounce back come next elections
This is the problem when you think that one region has more intelligent people than the others. Don’t you think the other regions worked hard as well or the ‘more intelligent’ region relaxed a bit? We mourn about cabinet selection, university selection, govt. positions, infrastructure…the list is endless. Can we stop playing victim card for once.
Atumbuka are like the Kikuyus. They think they are more intelligent than other tribes.
Achewa, Alhomwe, Asena ngakhale aYawo ndi anzerunso. Merit has revealed it all.
mwana wa hule iwe
How is it going to work? Probe, conclude there was foul play, cancel the selection thereafter? What a mess this would result in.
Why not suspend selection, investigate, come up with recommendations an move on from there? After the school program has suffered already; what with re-sitting of Form 4 botched up Exams.
suspend selection on what grounds? ” suspicion”