Parents in Malawi floods-hit districts push for shifting of exam dates
Parents from various floods affected districts are pushing the ministry of education to consider shifting the national examinations calendar for secondary and primary schools.
Students in Malawi schools are expected to start sitting for national examinations in four months’ time a development which both parents and learners say it’s too near as most of the students in flooded districts are yet to start attending classes.
“Many of the classes here are flooded with displaced people. Although some of them are sleeping in tents classes are yet to resume normally because of inconveniences caused”, said Saidi Likhava a resident of Nchenga area in Chikwawa where over 600 people are camping around the primary school campus.
He said for example the classes are almost littered everyday as children find them nice places to play at night. Some even defecate in classes
Likhava said as a parent he is now worried about the future of his child who is expected to sit for Primary Schools Leaving Certificate of Education following the interruption of learning since the arrival of the victims early January.
District Commissioner for Chikwawa, Alex Mdooko admitted that many children in some areas are not reporting for classes saying in some instances no one is available to teach the children because some of the affected people are the teachers themselves.
“This is indeed the problem because some of the children cant to schools as their nice clothes was washed away by floods” he said.
He said efforts are being made to ask the government to consider shifting the examinations dates.
Floods hit 15 districts early this year forcing Malawi president Peter Mutharika declare them disaster areas and appealed for urgent local and international aid.
Statistics indicate that around 234 schools have been damaged and 181 are being used as relocation sites for displaced people, who have lost their homes in the floods this means that a total of 415 schools affected.
An estimated 200,000 students are not able to attend school due to their schools being flooded or occupied by those who require temporary shelters.
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With due diligence and respect government should really think seriously about the calendar for this year’s examinations because the areas that have been affected by floods and whose schools have either been damaged or turned into camps will not cope up to finish the syllabuses on time hence most student will not benefit fully from their learning. It is prudent for government to reconsider the exam calendar. If it was possible then those affected areas students could be allowed to sit for the exams later say three months after their colleagues have sat for the same but this option is… Read more »
zazi
No more shifting the Exams dates just because of such a minority to affect the whole country.more over some of those areas hit by floods are hitted every year but they resist to move away from those disaster prone areas.No more shifting!.
ooh dont do that u men… to sit 2015 exams we were planning.. shifting examz will affect the govt as well as we the students & not forget maneb department. If they(hited by flood) build today they would have a better tommorrow. Although they fight for a change maneb calendar, i believe that this will affect the nation..we r running in a short time…
Lets stand in the victims’shoes,and see our friends commenting the we are,would that be fair?
chifukwa chavichi mukungothandiza kwambiri anthu akumwera okha ka charo chilikumwera pera shame on you obera mavoti
If they are not ready for exams azalembe next academic year. We cannot be put on hold by few people some of whom refuse to relocate upland. Or else azalembe mayeso awo
MANED SHOULD PREPARE SPECIAL EXAMS FOR THEM AND BE WRITEN IN LATER DATES.KAYA MALAMULO AMATI BWANJI KAYA.MANEBO ISOVENGE
Even those that are affected by floods are worried.How can std 8 teachers complete the syllabus by April instead of July?MANEB is also influencing rhe low quality education,Just imagine,PSLCE from May,6,kaya tidziona mmene zithere.
Alluta continua!