Standard Bank of Malawi plc and Press Trust have unveiled a four-year K220 million secondary school merit-based scholarship programme aiming at benefiting 46 students.

According to the Bank`s Chief Executive Philip Madinga, the support is meant for top performing students in all 34 education districts by providing them with school fees, stationery, school bags and welfare upkeep.

Madinga, who was speaking at Loyola Jesuits Secondary School in Kasungu, said the gesture intends to compliment government`s efforts in training reliable human resource.

Said Madinga: “The programme has been the long way in educating the students but also has actually resulted in making future leaders, we believe as they go to universities, they are going to help the development of the country.”

The fund has been launched with an initial disbursement of MK49.6 million for 2024. The support caters for school fees, examination fees, school shoes, and bag, stationery and learning aids for special needs students.

Concurring with Madinga, Trustee of Press Trust Professor Moses Maliro said education remains critical in fostering the country`s development hence support is required to capable needy students.

“One of the great needs that we have seen in the education sector is that potential students who can excel most of them failing because of lack of schools and we have been receiving a lot of requests for support that’s why it was inevitable for us to prioritise providing scholarships to the needy students,” he said.

One of the students who benefited from a similar programme in the past, Glory Ndipo encouraged prospective beneficiaries to work hard in their studies and maintain discipline.

Ndipo who scored 8 points from Providence Girls Secondary School attributed her success to the massive financial and moral support she received from Standard Bank Malawi plc and Press Trust scholarship programme.

On her part, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Rachel Chimbwete-Phiri, has described the support as a timely message of hope for needy students who will benefit from the programme.

“The investment made by Standard Bank and Press Trust in education sector will bring great benefits to young people and the nation because there is no better investment than education,” said Phiri.

According to Madinga, the previous cohort had a 100 percent Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) pass rate with 75 percent of the students scoring below 20 points and the highest being Ndipo who scored 8 points.