Authorities challenged to act on education funding woes

A call has gone out to authorities to urgently work addressing challenges rocking the country’s education system amid fears of widening gap between the rich and the poor.

The plea follows revelation that over 29, 000 candidates risk not writing this year’s Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE), Junior Certificate of Education (JCE), Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) due to failure by their parents and guardians to pay examinations fees.

But commenting on the development, an education expert Victor Chikoti has described the failure to pay the fees as very unfortunate for students coming from underprivileged families.

“It’s quite shocking, quite shocking as a nation that we can have 29,000 learners fail to write their examination, not on the basis that these were not prepared, not on the basis that these are not capable, not on the basis that these students have committed anything.

“Their only crime is the coming from families that are underprivileged. It’s quite unfortunate. It calls for reflection,” he said.

Chikoti has since called upon all concerned parties to seriously reflect on the situation if the country is to improve its education system.

He said: “It calls for reflection from MANEB, from government from members of Parliament from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), funding for education it is something that must bring us all together to bridge this widening gap between the haves and have not.”

Meanwhile, MANEB has extended payment for the examination fees to midnight on Friday.

Reads the communication: “MANEB wishes to inform the general public that examinations fees payment for 2024 PSLCE, JCE, MSCE and Primary Teacher Certificate of Education (PTCE) examinations has been extended to 12:00 midnight on January 12, 2024.”

The Board has since parents and guardians to pay the 2024 examination fees for their wards using the following approved payment platforms: TNM Mpamba, FDH 525 Mobile Banking, FDH Wallet, FDH Banki Pakhomo, NBS Eazy Mobile, National Bank Mo626, Standard Bank Unayo and First Capital Bank.