Robert Blake for being outstanding in MSCE: Private Schools shunned

Central East Education Division (CEED)awarded Robert Blake Secondary School for being outstanding in the 2018/ 2019 Malawi Schools Certificate of Education (MSCE).

The school which is based in Dowa district emerged the 2018 overall best secondary school among 138 schools in five districts of Salima, Nkhotakota, Dowa, Kasungu and Ntchisi.

It has also emerged the best conventional secondary in CEED.

For being outstanding two students who scored with 9 points, Bright Chapenga and Precious Kabuluzi received blankets and bags.

Teachers were not spared as three of them namely Malenga Msiska, Kumwenda and Morris were also recognized.

For instance, Msiska and Kumwenda emerged on first position in sciences and languages departments respectively while Zimba has emerged on second position in the department of humanities.

The school was also presented with a bicycle and a trophy as prizes for being best of best in the division as well as certificates of recognition.

However, private schools were not taken on board in the awardees, a thing that has forced them to comment on the matter.

Maranatha Academy Managing Director, Ernest Kaonga said it was a welcome development awarding outstanding schools but questioned why private schools were not considered.

Kaonga described this as segregation and urged Central East Education Division to do better next time.

He said there are students from private schools who scored with better grades compared with those from public schools but were not recognized.

For instance, he gave an example of  Esau Chipeta from Maranatha Academy in Nkhota-kota who scored 8 points beating even those from Robert Blake.

“This is not good because we are all sons and daughters of Malawi. We really put more effort for these results and at the end look at what we have produced .As Maranatha we are grateful to God,” he said.

Two students from Maranatha Esau Chipeta and Stasha Filemoni  scored 8 points, while about 195 students scored between 8-20 points. Sixty students also scored between 8-12 points.