School uphold new fees against Parliamentary motion

Public Schools in Malawi have dribbled past the Malawi Parliament by implementing the new school fees rates despite the latter’s stand that the fees should not be adjusted, we can report, although the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has kept mum on the matter.

Jumbe: Moved a motion against school fees hike
Jumbe: Moved a motion against school fees hike

Schools have opened for Second term of 2015- 2016 Academic calendar on Monday January 4 2016, a date that the new fees was earmarked for implementation.

Those Nyasa Times have spoken to say that they are working within their mandate as they are using the memorandum that they received from the government, saying there is no other memorandum suggesting otherwise.

But we can also report that after Member of Parliament for Salima Central Felix Jumbe moved a motion stopping government from implementing the hiked fees in public Secondary Schools and Tertiary Institutions the matter was well supported and it was sustained.

Jumbe observed that the government can hold until the economic situation improves.

But during the debate in Parliament Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu said parliamentarians went beyond their mandate in passing the motion and it is not known whether the stand by the schools bend on that statement.

Students who communicated to this publication said that they have been told that there is no change as there is no letter from the Ministry.

“We are told that just last week the Minister of Education, Science and Technology Dr Emmanuel Fabiano told a daily publication that Ministry officials were on holiday and a statement on the issue would be released after the holiday as such no person can revert what was communicated to the schools officially,” said a student in Nkhotakota.

Jumbe has said that it would be unrealistic for the government to demand more from the citizenry that is equally struggling economically.

He said: “If you ask the government to fund a certain project today, they will tell you that they have no money. So, it is the same thing with people. I don’t think it is fair to excessively demand from people what they cannot afford. The people of Malawi are getting impoverished at a very high rate and raising school fees in the current situation cannot be justified,” Jumbe said.

“Of course there are some people who do not accept reality. But the reality is, even if they raise the fees, some people will not be able to report for their studies. Maybe, it will be easy for the sons and daughters of ‘cashgaters’. But original Malawians, who work and get money out of integrity, will be unable to raise money for the hiked fees,” he said.

But Civil Society Education Coalition Executive Director Benedicto Kondowe was quoted saying that the government was justified to raise the fees given the current economic status, but needed to be careful on the magnitude of the increase.

The Ministry justified the hike saying it was aimed at improving the provision of various resources and services needed in the schools (improving the quality of education and service delivery).

In the statement the Ministry observed that the new fees will greatly assist schools to improve standards by providing adequate teaching and Learning materials to achieve the recommended pupil to textbook ratio of 1:1.

Here is the list of school fees:
Secondary Schools;

Nation: K85000
District: K35000
CDSS:K11000
TTC:K35000
Domasi: K220000

UNIMA: K270000
MZUNI: K275000
LUANAR: K280000

There is no statement yet from the government  but people have warned that should the government remain quiet the whole week, schools will be abandoned and the country would come to a stand still.

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BBK@KU
BBK@KU
8 years ago

BBK says: Executive dominance in decision making has been, is and if not properly checked, will continue suppressing the potentially development related ideas from members of the other equally important political institutions. Malawi is not a Kingdom where all decisions are to be made by the executive and that nobody can dispute it. Shame on the Policy makers who accepted to implement a Fees Hike policy without adequate consultation with the other institutions within the political divide. These are policy makers who are not visionary or may be are short sighted. they never thought of the aftermath of the Fees… Read more »

Pastor Owen Kamkondo Phiri
Pastor Owen Kamkondo Phiri
8 years ago

Government is not fair with people, it stoped to fund schools in some projects. And ndife makolo tikupanga zonse even kulipira COOKS & GUARDS apart from development infrastructures. As am talking there some schools where parents are doing all government businesses like DOWA SS where my son is, we are paying cooks, guards and contributing to the constraction of brick fence. Government has totally fail.

pual mirambo
pual mirambo
8 years ago

The government does not take both the parliament and the opposition seriously

nango
nango
8 years ago

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance

Samson Mpiyama
8 years ago

no mercy for poor pipo. so help me GOD.

Muchipo Kanthu
Muchipo Kanthu
8 years ago

Why is it that what ever you are doing is to punish the poor, rural community people? Have you ever thought what will be the out comes of the things you are have started? If there will be high rate of prostitution, theft,Vandalism, drug and substance abuse and other implications ahead due to failure to proceed with education, especially the teens. As a Malawian citizen I expected that Education in all secondary schools could have been subsidized not to increase the fees, There are many young Malawians you could have contributed to the development of the country but they are… Read more »

mbani
8 years ago

this shows Parliament is useless another example is the sell MS Bank

Beast Msonda
Beast Msonda
8 years ago

Hahahaha koma ma journalist enawa inu aaa akuti “…the people have warned that should the government remain quiet the whole week, schools (will) be abandoned and the country would come to a stand still.” Which people have warned? You or the people? You could have said “I and my pay masters/mistresses are warning the government…” Do not say people as if it’s all Malawians who are saying that. It’s you and whoever has paid you to write this article.

jk
jk
8 years ago

A ndale msalowerere apa. Will you supply materials in schools. If government cannot raise fees now, how rhings going to be sustained in school e.g. food supplying. Mr.Jumbe, Do you have a school? How can you fèed students in boarding with less amount of fees. DDP here not to blame but they should restructure the payment as follows Tuition 2000, SDF 5000, GPF 1000 and TRF 2000. Most schools have improved there infrastructure because of SDF.

Mark Saoneka
Mark Saoneka
8 years ago

Mukunama kuti mukufuna kukweza standard ya maphunziro pokweza school fees koma palibe chimene chisinthe koposa kungowapweteka anthu osauka. Unima nthawi ya Kamuzu anthu ankaphunzira ulele. Enanu ka English mukunyadila leroka mudaphunzira school yomweyo ndiye mwayamba kutumbwa kuchemelera kukweza fees kuti osauka asaphunzire. Boma mwalisaukitsa nokha ili, kodi pakati pa 1970 ndi 2016 boma likanakhala lolemera liti? Pano lasauka ngati munthu.

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