Standard 8 exams end as students sit on floor: CSOs demand explanation

Standard eight  examinations end Friday amid  concerns that some students were  sitting on the floor while other schools asked students to bring chairs from home.

At Malambo centre in Dowa, students were asked to bring  chairs for each day they sat for the examination.

In some areas, the students were asked to bring a brick each where they sat on during the examination period whilst in some are the candidates sat on the floor. Education activist Benedicto Kondowe said this was an indication that education standards have completely gone down.

“This shows that our leaders have no interest of ordinary people. These issues have been there but there have been no interest to work on them,” said Kondowe.

NGCN Gender coordinating Network Chairperson, Mrs Emma Kaliya has demanded that councils should provide desks to learners as one way of ensuring good quality education.

“The problem is that the councils prioritise to buy other things at the expense of desks in our time we used to seat on the desks even from junior classes, we are asking Government to address this problem immediately,” said Kaliya.

Kaliya said we cannot talk about girlchild empowerment when they are seated on the floor how are they going to stand.

Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CYECE) Executive Director,Lucky Mbewe said what is happening is just very bad and does not go on well with agenda of uplifting a girl child in Malawi and youths and whole.

CYECE is  a Non-Governmental and not-for-profit organization. It was formed with the aim of addressing the Socio Economic Development issues affecting children and young people in Malawi.

“It is disheartening at this era to see children writing exams while sitting on Njerwa (bricks) while talk about promoting quality education. While girls find hustles to sit down in class, atleast during exams this could have been improved to level playing field with all children in Malawi. The situation is so pathetic and does not auger well with government’s commitment on Education For All (EFA Goals) article 3 of the CRC ( the best interest of the child). Worse still, this is happening at a time when government funds continue to be embezzled through corruption deals which is so sad,” said Mbewe.

Ministry of education spokeswoman Lindiwe Chide said the ministry is receiving complaints.

“We will work on the problems once we get the complaints,” she said.

In Bangwe, Blantyre  candidates for two private science failed to sit for their examination because directors of the schools had embezzled the examination money which the candidates had paid.