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.

CSEC executive director Benedicto Kondowe (left) and board chairperson Moses Busher
Sitting for exams on the floor

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.

 

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Hlabezulu Ngonoonda
Hlabezulu Ngonoonda
5 years ago

Press Plc, please come to the rescue of primary schools that do not have desks. Through corporate responsibility team up with reputable companies such as Total Malawi and Malawi Castle Brewery to set the pace for such a task. It seems that Ministry of Education rarely inspect schools to figure out whether desks and chairs are required. In the first place, what is the responsibility of School Inspectors?

okawale
okawale
5 years ago

Shame shame..!!!!!!!! We have PTAs in the primary schools then we have counsellors who claim to to spearhead development in our communities then we have MPs who would to be counsellors at the same time policy makers … *i have seen it with my naked eyes just yesterday pupils carrying kampando kaku kitchen kaja * going for exams …shame shame then you keep fooling us? Mumudziwe Yesu

pida
pida
5 years ago
Reply to  okawale

APA NDIYE MWAYALUKA A PHWANGA.

Masuzgyo
Masuzgyo
5 years ago

DPP MANIFESTO !!

QueenB
QueenB
5 years ago

Shame on MPs whose constituencies have schools without desks yet they were sharing K4Billion as surplus money. Do not vote for such MPs come 2019.

MOPAO
MOPAO
5 years ago

MY MOTHER MALAWI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MOPAO
MOPAO
5 years ago

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK,THATS PART OF EDUKWESHONI DIVILOPUMENTI IN NYASALAND,YANGA NDY SADZAINUNKHA ATAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yohane
yohane
5 years ago

4 billion ikusowa chochita nayo. Are we serious?

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

This is what Mutharika calls development beyond recognition. Obviously he wouldn’t know whats happening right on his nose as he sleeps in a comfortable state house sponsored by the poorest of the poor. drives in the most expensive vehicles with unnecessary security guards (the country is very peaceful for heavens sake). wake up Mr president and do something for God’s creation is crying out loud. If you don’t look after God’s property in the way that He intended then He may have to recall you back to the source to let those that care look after humankind.

Spinoza
5 years ago

Who is to blame here first? The president or MPs for those areas? Including the counsellors.

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago
Reply to  Spinoza

Don’t blame the MPs and councillors. They are not the ones that are telling the public that Malawi has developed beyond recognition. The president should admit that his MPs and Councillors have failed and do something about it.

Mtunda
Mtunda
5 years ago

In 1978 I used to bring my own stool from home to school and had to walk 2km to school. Only those in Standard 8 had the pleasure of using desks etc. Those who are older than me have even tougher experiences to share and so too the rest of us. Come 2018, the story seems to refuse to die. These innocent children are told day and night that things have improved under the multiparty democracy compared to the past. But I can tell you not in 2018 when we even have American educated professors ruling us. This should be… Read more »

Donald Kilintoni
Donald Kilintoni
5 years ago
Reply to  Mtunda

DO WE STILL HAVE CRAFT/ HAND WORK IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS NOWADAYS?? SOME OF US USED CHAIRS MADE FROM OUR OWN HANDS,. GOING BY AGE, ANYONE WHO’S A PROFFESSOR AND AGED OVER 60YRS IN MALAWI AND TODAY MUST’VE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE (OTHERWISE AMATHAWIRA PA WINDOW AND THEY STARTED FORGING QUALIFICATIONS RIGHT FROM PSLCE RIGHT TO MSCE UP TO THEIR PHD’S)!!!

URIM AND THUMIM
5 years ago

COLONIALISM WAS BETTER
THAN WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN MALAWI NOW —

innocent m'bama
innocent m'bama
5 years ago

you don’t know what you say.

nyaxy
nyaxy
5 years ago

Aaaaaaa dont blem Coucerlos MP s or Government but blem your own children ife timati tikagula madesk inuyo mumawatuma kuti zikathyola ndicholinga choti muziti Boma lalephera ndiye mapeto ake ndizomwe mwaonazo sukulu zambiri madesk anathyoledwa ndi ananu achambawo omwe mukuwabakira apawa tili ndizambiri zoti tichitetu ife . Masukulu amene aziti akalandila madesk ndikumawathyola azikhala pansi choncho apa musaname kuti kunalibe madesk kumeneko . Boma lake silimeneli ayi

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