St Egidio Calls For Immediate Solution On 29,000 Candidates

While stakeholders in the education sector are doing everything possible to ensure every child build the future by attaining quality education poverty seems to have provided a set back to the point of some guardians failing to pay examination fees for their children.

This week, the social media has been flooded with alarming lists of learners from primary and secondary schools whose guardians have failed to pay their examination fees.

This prompted the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maned) to announce the extension of period for learners who have not yet paid examination fees to do so if they are to sit for this year’s national primary or secondary school exams.

Reacting to the development, Coordinator of Children Programmes at the non-profit organisation St. Egidio, Crief Daniel expressed shock with the 29 000 alarming figure of learners who may not sit for either Primary School Leaving or Junior Certificate examinations if the problem is not addressed.

“It is very sad to imagine the psychological trauma inflicted on the young ones who have all along spent their time preparing for examinations only to notice that was all in vain,” Daniel said.

Daniel further extended an appeal to all relevant stakeholders to look into the matter critically, reasoning that it will last forever for such frustrated children to recover from the psychological trauma that will follow if the situation remains not addressed.

“Frustrating young minds on issues to do with academic life poses a danger to the society because that will be perceived as a condemnation which will bear drastic consequences in the future,” he added.

He went on reminding the special committee set by President Lazarus Chakwera to urgently embark on applicable austerity measures that were put in place aimed at cushioning the effects of the recent 44 percent devaluation that has brought about an unbearable economic catastrophe.

Another socio-economic commentator, Gideon Kondowe reminded the government to fully implement the national free primary school education policy which do not provide for examination fees.

Commenting on his Facebook page, another activist, Alexius Kamangira wondered how as a nation can let something like this slide and children fail to get Education.

He further argued that under the Constitution of Malawi, failure to provide free primary education is a violation of the Constitutional Principles as per Section 13 (f) (ii), and Section 25 (1) as read together with Section 23 (1), (5) [b] of Malawi’s Constitution.

“Primarily, primary students failing to sit for their Examinations in Malawi is breach of duty and responsibility by the Government. I would in general therefore urge the Ministry of Education and herein Maneb to take any measures necessary to ensure that all the 29,000 children sit for their Examinations whether they pay or not,” Kamangira concluded.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is yet to issue a statement on the 29 29,000 candidates who are on the verge of missing out on the final list of those writing this year’s national primary and secondary school examinations.