Teachers embezzle exam fees as students fail to sit for MSCE

Some 12 students at a private school in Balaka have failed to sit for their Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) after some teachers swindled their examination fees.

Each one of them had paid over K20,000 as examination fees but school authorities failed to remit the money to the Malawi National Examination Board.

The head teacher at Tsogolo Private Secondary School in Nkaya,  Patrick Chileka confirmed the incident.

“We gave money to our member of staff to go and pay for the examination fees but he did not pay,” said the head teacher.

The incident has angered parents who want stern action against the school owners and management.

Benedicto Kondowe, an education activist said all those involved should be arrested and there should be a way of helping the students.

“This should be condemned. The students have worked hard for four years and to deprive them of their right to sit for an examination is inhuman,” he said.

The students, all wearing sad faces said they feared for their future because they cannot sit for the examination because there has been change in the MSCE syllabus.

Ministry of Education spokesperson Lindiwe Chide said the government was investigating the matter.

Some school head teachers and directors were arrested in Blantyre for embezzling money meant for primary school leaving certificate candidates identity cards forcing the learners fail to sit for their examination