Parents and guardians with wards in grant-aided secondary schools will still pay K460 000 as boarding and contributory fees per term despite the government scrapping off fees, it has emerged. In a letter to all proprietors of government assisted (grant-aided) secondary schools dated December 26 2025, Association of Christian Educators in Malawi (Acem) executive director Pascal Mtuwana said they discussed the matter with Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. He said that they were informed that the Ministry of Education abolished only the school development fund (SDF) and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fund as user fees that were included under boarding fees.
But Mtuwana said the Ministry of Education has not abolished boarding fees in grant-aided schools and will not pay boarding fees for any student other than those on government bursary. He said: “Payment of boarding fees remains the responsibility of parents and guardians. When schools reopen on 5th January 2026, parents/guardians will still be required to pay boarding fees as approved by Acem according to the letter of 6th August 2025.
“For the avoidance of doubt and misunderstanding the boarding fees approved by Acem is still K460 000 [four hundred and sixty thousand kwacha only] per student per term, there is no increase.” According to Mtuwana, from the K460 000, boarding fee accounts for K450 000, contribution to diocese/synod education commission/department is at K4 000, contribution to Acem is K3 000 and that to Malawi Council of Churches and Bishops Education Office is K3 000. He said that all grant-aided community day secondary schools (CDSS) and open day secondary schools (OSS) will contribute the same amount, notably K10 000 per student per term as the assisted boarding secondary schools towards the education commission/department and Acem. In a letter dated December 22 2025, Secretary for Education, Science and Technology Ken Ndala confirmed the developments, saying the ministry has allocated funds to all grant aided schools to cater for SDF and PTA user fees.
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Reads the letter: “The ministry proceeds to transfer the first tranche of the school development fund to all grant-aided schools before 5th January 2026 as planned and the balance by end January 2026. “The ministry commits to ensure continuity and consistency in funding to grant aided schools. Acem shall ensure the abolished fees shall not be included in the boarding fees collected from learners in assisted schools through a reduction of the fees accordingly.” Meanwhile, Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe yesterday said the clarification from both the ministry and Acem is helpful, but also brings into sharp focus a major equity challenge in the free secondary education policy.
He said while the abolition of SDF and PTA contributions is a positive step, boarding fees, set at K460 000 per term, remain fully payable by parents in grant-aided Christian and mission schools. Said Kondowe: “If free secondary education is to be meaningful and equitable, government must urgently engage faith-based education providers to develop a sustainable financing arrangement for boarding costs.”
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