Affected PSLCE exams candidates in Dedza (Image: Zodiak online)
Over 90 students have not been allowed to sit for Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) exams across Malawi after officials from their schools embezzled money meant for the students’ examination fees.
In Mangochi, 52 students have been affected while in Dedza and Dowa over 40 students have been affected.
Police in Mangochi have since arrested Timothy Maputu, a 51-year-old former Director of Sunrise Private primary School and Paul Kumwenda, a 44-year-old Headteacher at Fatima Private Primary School within the township over embezzlement of exam fees.
According to Police Public Relations Officer for Mangochi, Amina Tepani Daudi, Maputu collected a total of K250,000 from 30 candidates in December 2022. He later sold the school to another individual in January 2023 on financial grounds. Similarly, Kumwenda collected K120,000 in examination fees from 22 candidates.
On May 9, 2023, the directors of both schools discovered that the suspects had failed to remit the collected funds to the Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB). This realization came to light when they contacted the board to request examination identity cards and numbers for their candidates.
“Both cases were reported to Mangochi Police Station. The two were apprehended. During interrogation, the accused individuals admitted to diverting the funds for personal use,” said Daudi.
The affected pupils from the aforementioned schools will not be able to sit for this year’s PSLCE Examination. MANEB has cited the lateness of the discovery as the reason for being unable to address the issue.
A similar case has been reported at Malembo Primary School in Dedza where 21 students have not been allowed to sit for exams because a teacher stole their exam fees. In Dowa, 21 students at Manondo Primary School are also not sitting for the exams after a teacher at the school misappropriated money for the student’s examination fees.
About 276,000 learners are sitting for the exams which have started today and are expected to end on Friday.
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