Police arrest students from Lilongwe Technical College for demonstrations: Fire tear gas
Union President of Lilongwe Technical College, Promise Chidothi said he does not see any future for the much touted rural technical colleges the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Government says it is implementing if it is failing to take care of the already existing technical colleges, such as the Lilongwe Technical College.
He was speaking Thursday in an interview with the Lilongwe News Agency, a day after the students held a demonstration for being unhappy with the situation the college is in.
“We have several problems in the college which the administration is failing to solve. Toilets are broken down, meals are miserable, and there is no menu, if it is eggs available, we may have them for so many days till they finish.
“There is no security, security lights are not there, it becomes pitch dark as soon as the sun sets, coupled with that, the security company engaged provides untrained personnel, they allow strangers into the college any time, even at midnight without asking them questions, there are so many issues,” explained Chidothi.
He said students morale of learning is down due to these problems including psychological ones where their own teachers degrade them, saying they have no right to demand what they want because they pay too little fees (K14 000) as contribution to government subsidy.
Additionally, the students alleged that their teachers work hard in moonlighting to train students who pay them privately .
The Union President disclosed that they had been meeting the principal several times on the problems but nothing has been done. He said they have been complaining about the problems since 2012.
“Every time we meet administration, they assure us that the problems will be solved but nothing happens, the situation continues to deteriorate and learning has been so difficult because of such poor conditions,” explained Chidothi
He said these were the reasons why the students resorted to hold a demonstration, after handing over their petition, they proceeded chanting songs peacefully from the administration block to outside the college gate.
Police invited by the administration, came in when the demonstration was almost dying down, according to Chidothi, with only a few students still dancing and chanting at the gate.
He alleged that although the police found just a few students chanting at the gate, they used tear gas to disperse them, worse still, they proceeded to tear gas students who were sitting peacefully in their hostels.
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We in Zimbabwe we thot we are worse but you I dont no how to describe you in terms of development.
U guys r at at technical college. Thus plumbing class can fix the toilet,electrical class can fix bulbs and general fitting class can fix the windows and glass. Just ask fo materials from xool or do fund raising to purchase some. And discuss the rest instead of demos.
As a union leader you could have encouraged the carpently class to fix the doors as part of their paracticles. That is Killing two birds with one stone.
Please osalimbana nd Friday Jumbe. Amene uja ndi super substitute for south. Zikavuta amene uja amalowa mu ground and that marks the end of game. So dont play with zizukulu za John Chilembwe.
The whole college can not maintain that broken door. You just need a thicker plywood, nails, tape, saw, varnish,hammer,and plane with some carpentry skills to fix that problem. I dont have formal training in carpentry but such problem, i can fix it myself. Stupid Chewas. Stupid carpentry trainees at LL Tec. College.
don’t worry this is typical of the govt u voted for. Another example is the wanted to establish another Bank under Friday Jumbe while at the same time wanting to dispose off another bank sighting financial problems this is what they are doing.
Malawians are lazy people. The college has trainees and senior lecturers in all the field complained here. Blocking of toilets is maintained by plumbers, why the lecturer does not use his students for maintaining it as part of training,for roofing and broken doors why the Chief Carpenter uses his carpenter trainees to maintain them during classwork as part of his practical. Lilongwe Technical College has everything to support its. But the Chewas are very people. They want everything to be done for them. Mbuzi za anthu basi. Why cant you just go back to Dambwe for your gulewamkulu. Over 80… Read more »
But what i have observed is the technicians from above mentioned college are more competite than the so called UNIMA who only knows theory .
Good job Mr Union President. Keep fighting for better conditions.
It is high time government should stop subsidizing education.