Revealed: Private Schools Bribing NCHE for Good Results

By: Thula Chisamba

Tear-jerking information leaked to The Malawi Star has confirmed the corruption scandal which has dominated the 2016/2017 selection of students into public universities in the country.

Inside sources have revealed that the National Council For Higher Education (NCHE) has already completed with the selection of such students.

Nonetheless, the most students who have been selected are those from private secondary schools with only a few from public secondary schools.

“I can confirm that about 80 percent of those selected are those who went to private schools and only 20 percent are those who went to public schools,” said the source pleading for anonymity.

He further maintained that the selection was based on both merit and quota system but most students from public secondary schools have been left out.

Though that is the case, statistics show that students who attend public secondary schools come from very poor families and can never afford to pay the required exorbitant tuition fees in institutions of higher learning.

It is also on record that students from private secondary schools acquire quality education.

Professor Wiseman Chijere Chirwa expressed worries at the trend citing it will worsen the inequality that is already existing in the country between the rich and the poor as far as education is concerned.

Chirwa said students from public secondary schools deserve the selection into the public universities if the war against inequality has to be won.

“It is very unfortunate to learn that our public universities are flooded by already well to do students from expensive private schools while those from rural areas are denied the same chances,” said Chirwa.

When we went to press, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) authorities failed to comment on the matter and our efforts proved futile because their phones could not be reached.

However, although The Malawi Star cannot independently confirm the allegations, there is information which indicates that some private school owners bribe the authorities at NCHE for selection favors.