Primary schools feel impact of fund abolition

Spot-checks yesterday established that learners at Zolozolo Primary School were scheduled to start sitting end-of-term examinations on Friday, but could not do so due to lack of funds to print examination papers. Zolozolo Primary School Parents Teachers Association chairperson Agnes Kachali said the abolished fund used to generate about K9 million per term. “Even the learners are refusing to copy questions from the chalkboards, but assessment has to continue.

The solution is that every learner should have hardcover notebooks which will still cost each guardian K13 500 per term,” she said. Mzuzu City district education manager Boston Nkhoma said Mzuzu City Council was best placed to comment on the matter. The council’s spokesperson McDonald Gondwe said they were aware of the need for schools to print examination papers, but could not explain where the funds would be drawn from.

He said they were doing their best to manage the situation by close of business yesterday in the city’s nine education zones, which represent 41 public schools. Blantyre City Council spokesperson Debora Luka and Lilongwe City Council acting chief executive officer Hillary Kamera asked for more time before commenting on the matter. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology spokesperson Lily Kampani was yet to respond to our questionnaire by press time at 9pm yesterday.

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But commenting on the development, Mzuzu University education expert Dr. Foster Lungu stressed on the need to fill the gaps created by the abolition of the fund. He said the emerging situation is a sign that there are no funding alternatives. Lungu said a policy passed down from Capital Hill must be followed to the letter and wondered if education authorities were consulting the Ministry of Education on how to manage the situation.

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