Synod hits at quota system Malawi university selection
CCAP Synod of Livingstonia, the vocal voice on social and political matters, has hit at government for continuing with the University of Malawi quota selection system, saying it has left out deserving candidates from the colleges especially those from north Malawi.
Livingstonia Synod moderator Reverend Levi Nyondo said this on Tuesday during the funeral ceremony of chief Malanda of Nkhata Bay.
“This system has left out intelligent deserving students and taken on board lazy dull students. This is grossly unfair, that is not how the government should run the affairs of the University of Malawi,” said the seemingly angry Nyondo.
The quota system, which the Malawian government refers to as Equitable Access to University Education, requires higher education institutions to admit students based on where they come from. It is aimed at discouraging a trend under the merit system that saw people from the north entering higher education in greater numbers than students from the south.
Nyondo said students should not be admitted to the public university because of the regions they come from but rather on merit.
Former president Bingu wa Mutharika introduced the quota system to ensure that all districts in the country provided students to the public university after noticing that students from the north, usually hard working and bright, were dominating the University of Malawi selection.
Nyondo said the selection should be based on merit, regardless of one’s region of origin.
Presidential advisor Symon Vuwa Kaunda, who was at the funeral pledged he would deliver the message to President Peter Mutharika.
He however said the government ensures equity in the selection of students to the University of Malawi.
ZiKUGWILIZANA bwanji ndi MALIRO zimenezi atumbuka kupanda nzeru pa MALIRO
Am not for BINGU but rev nyondo niwamaboza ATUMBUKA KUCHOKERA KALE akhala akubera ana ao mayeso atumbuka amanama kuti ndi anzeru pamene anawo amawauzira mayeso komanso akapita kogwira ntchito sikubakwakenso Anyondo ndionama
Which unit Ndovi?? Livingstonia failed to unit with sister synods on religious issues and your message is always SEPARATION, the Synod for the ‘blind flock’ it has never been guided by the Holy Spirit.
Ndovi is another GABBAGE not worthy a reverend, hyena in a sheeps…
Firstly I beg to differ with the cooked & spiced figures presented by number 24. If you can go to MANEB data base and look at the Education Division that has a top/number one overall average performance over the years, you will definitely have NED at the apex. As per Plato’s observation, he emphasised that education is for the “elite”. By elite, he did not mean the rich or the majority ethnic group in a particular location rather those who have the stamina in intallegestia to deal with equations and all sorts of academic challenges making them to excel above… Read more »
hey Nyondo is the general Secretary and not the moderator. thank you
Livingstonia synod is just one of those Tumbuka structures, meant to advance the tumbuka ideologies, in the name of the church. This is the church that chased all girls from Ekwendeni Sec, who were coming from other regions to replace them with those from the North. This synod is not fit to speak on national issues, but rather issues in the north, about northernors, for the northernors. Remember, the public universities are not for northernors but for the Country Malawi. Do not confuse Livingstonia College for Luanar, Unima, MUST or even Mzuni. These are not Northern colleges but National Colleges.… Read more »
The quota system is symptomatic of inferiority of the initiators of this barbaric system. Don’t blame Nyondo, he was airing his frustrations in the presence of members of the ruling party. It is ironical to note that in fact illiteracy continues unabated in some of the districts being favoured under the quota system. The problem people from many of the favoured districts breed like rats!!!! By 2050, Malawi’s population will be 50m, imagine what will happen then. Livingstonia Synod has a university, please develop it to accommodate disadvantaged students. You should fund-raise for this cause, I guarantee, there are many… Read more »
Quota system stinks and I nauseate each time I hear about this useless way of selecting students into public universities. What is the point in having exams if the lazy ones will be rewarded anyway through this unfair system? I have seen students with 30 points being selected into universities leaving those with 15 points just bacause they were the highest in thier districts. And you call that equitable, fair? My foot! Remove exams and just pick candidates into these universities then from each district. No wonder education standards are continually declining. The so called graduates nowadays are not even… Read more »
Totally agree with you. They should just remove exams, why keep them if they play no part on merit selection of students?
You dpp thugs, just remove the exams and chose the students according to where they come from. Just say 50 students from each district should go to university and no exams required.
Then because you have more districts, you will dominate the corridors of the university and it will make you dpp thugs happy.
Let Quota System stay FOR EVER. Thanks President Peter Mutharika for continuing with the Quota System because it is helping with providing equal access to public university to all tribes and regions. For a long time, only one tribe and region was accessing university education and anadzadzana ma udindo akulu akulu a boma, they are leaders in CSOs, international organisations and businesses. Nyondo`s argument is weak and he always shows total ignorance of principles of equality in the modern world.
We are all Malawians, so quota should go.