Thirty Malawi College of Health Science (MCHS) students, some of whom lost parents to Covid-19 earlier this year, have been barred from sitting for end of semester exams over fees.
The students have told Malawi24 that their fellow students started sitting for the exams on Monday this week while those who have failed to pay school fees have been told that they will write deferred exams.
According to the students, they presented their concerns to Ministry of Health where they were told that their issue would be considered but they are yet to get a response.
“It is painful because some of us come from poor families while others have lost their parents to Covid-19 and we can’t manage to raise money for fees in order to sit for the exams,” said one of the students.
In a memo on March 8, College Registrar Thom Chisale said it is the college’s policy that only students who have fully paid fees are allowed to sit for examinations.
“Students with balances will not be provided with examination numbers hence cannot sit for any examinations,” he said.
The government in the past used to sponsor students at the MCHS but the sponsorship was suspended in 2019 and the affected students are under the 2020 intake, the first enrolled at the college without sponsorship.
The students have since appealed to well-wishers to assist them so that they should be able to go back to school. Fees at the MCHS is K550, 000 per year for day scholars and 880, 000 for boarding students.
