Slightly over 29 000 students are at the verge of failing to sit for the Malawi National Examination Board (Maneb) examinations this year after their parents and guardians to pay examination fees.
This comes at the backdrop of a report suggesting that Malawians are slowly losing trust in the country’s public education system, forcing them to prefer private education for their wards.
It is against this background that a renowned education activist Limbani Nsapato believes there is need for government to consider investing a lot of financial resources toward the education sector.
Speaking at the pre-budget consultative meeting in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Nsapato proposed that a 20percent cut from the national budget should go towards education.
Nsapato suggested an introduction to education levy as one way raising funds towards education.
“We already have Tevet levy which is around 1 percent. We just need to broaden it to 3 percent and it should cover the whole education sector. If we do that we can raise not less than $68million annually,” said Nsapato.
Meanwhile, campaign initiated by one of the country’s leading social media platforms, Mikozi, has raised slightly over MK1million meant to pay examination fees for some needy students.
The money is enough to pay for about 300 students.
And another social media influencer Gerald Kampanikiza has also raised money enough to pay the fees for some 20 students.
Malawi National Examinations Board- Maneb has since extended period for paying the examination fees to Friday, 12 January.
Out of the 637 887 candidates registered for this year’s national examinations, 608 045 failed to pay the fees.
The candidates are those expected to sit for Primary School Leaving Certificate (PSLCE), Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).
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