School Talk, as the 2025 Academic Calendar begins

A Perspective from Francis Kanyongolo

The 2025 Academic Calendar starts this week.

I hope Parents, Guardians and all forms of minders, saved money for School fees and other related costs.

Most times it is embarrassing to send the Children to start School with letters instead of fees, pleading with Owners of learning Institutions to permit the kids to learn, on a promise or pledge that you will sort the fees later.

The letters usually go like this:

Chichewa Version

“Kwa a Headmaster/Principal,

? Choyamba Mulandire Moni.Ndikhulupilira kuti muli bwino.

?Chonde Mulandireni Mwana Wangayo,ndipo Mumulore kuti ayambe nawo maphunziro.

Pano Zandisokonekera pena pake ndiye mundiyang’anira pakutha pamwezi.

Ine M’bale wanu…”.

?A Close English Translation

“To Whom It May Concern,

?I hope you are doing well.

Please permit my Boy/Girl to start learning this Semester.

At the moment am experiencing some financial problems, but I promise to pay the school fees this coming month end.

Yours Sincerely……”.

?This economic pressure usually stems from lavish spending during Christmas and New Year Celebrations, needless to say that failing to plan is planning to fail.

Of course it is not all people who fall into this predicament.

Some are wise and responsible enough to prioritise the welfare of their School going Children.

?And in some cases the reasons for one to fall short of the fees may be plausible enough.

But still there are some irresponsible people who seem not to prioritise the welfare of their School going Children, and they do this every year.

We are supposed to be learning from our mistakes as we grow, but some people are always taking one step forward and two steps back.

As Parents/Guardians send their Children to School, it is also a must that they follow up and pay much attention to the Learning Environment of the Children, the sort of food the Children take to School, or what they buy at School during breaks, just like it is also imperative to follow up on the hygiene measures or standards of the Schools.

Of late reports are rife in Malawi Media that such and such a School has been closed following the vandalisation of School property by Students who were not happy with the diet.

This is becoming a major problem and it is disturbing the Learning process.

I hope the powers that be are working towards finding lasting solutions to this effect.

And still on hygiene, it is shocking to learn that most schools operate with only a few Toilets, which do not match against the large numbers of students present.

Need I say more about Cholera and other water borne diseases that break out during the rainy season?

Worse still some Schools are always experiencing water problems, but they continue operating, despite Students complaints of frequent hiking of School fees.

It is also unfortunate that even in Colleges standards are dwindling.

Talk about dilapidated hostels and Classrooms, Labs without basic equipment, bad food or none at all in School Cafeterias, it doesn’t rain, it pours.

I felt bad when I visited one renown College in Malawi most recently.

You see it was Lunch time, and I couldn’t help but notice that most students were just loitering around with nothing to eat and most were looking depressed.

I asked myself how such Students manage to grasp what they are being taught-God knows.

With regard to these problems in Public Colleges, the general feeling or perception of the affected has always been that those who have the power to solve the problems are always looking the other way, without any iota of remorse.

I guess it is safe to say that much as Malawi is passing through harsh economic times, we are all paying the price of putting in power people with priorities upside down.

Moving on, let me also talk a bit about how our school system has been affected with changing times.

You can agree with me that advancements in Technology and the millennial lifestyle are both having an impact on the education system.

Indeed we went digital, with most of our activities dictated by the use of Computers and other digital machines.

From Cash transfers/transactions to many other forms of business, people have no choice but to equip themselves with digital knowledge.

From the elderly to the Gen Z, we all have no choice but to use Computers, Smart phones and so on.

When the new Millennium started, most School systems also adopted the use of Computers, hoping that Learners become well conversant with the technological trends, and contribute further to the work system.

To the Gen Z, this is actually their turf.

It is not surprising to see that many teenagers are mastering their Computer skills, to the point of wizardry.

?Much as this is great, we also need to talk about responsibility.

Some people have argued that it is not wise to buy Smart Phones for School going Children, as this affects their concentration towards School work.

I guess it depends on the Age and the Level requirements of the Students.

?And in Colleges, some Owners, Lecturers, Course or Program Supervisors are complaining that the free Wi-Fi they offer to Students for School Assignments is often abused.

My? hope and take in all this is that the concerned parties continue negotiating or advising each other, so as to reach a common ground as far as Academics go.

There are a lot of problems that are being experienced in Schools here in Malawi and elsewhere.

To this end it is not only the responsibility of the Government and Education Authorities, but ours too as Parents,Guardians,Teachers,Students to ?always come together, hold meetings or dialogues wherever and whenever possible, as a way of finding solutions.

It is very possible and never too late to improve Education systems all over the world; we just have to be willing to do so.

?Let me end by dropping these gems to those currently in School:

-Education is the Key which opens many doors to life opportunities.

-Severe Consequences are there if you cut corners or use short cuts in life.

All the best as the 2025 School Calendar begins here in Malawi and in other Countries, God bless…

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About the Author:

Francis Kanyongolo is a Freelance Online Journalist from Malawi, also a regular contributor on LinkedIn and Face book.

Email Contacts: [email protected],[email protected]

You can also type Francis Kanyongolo on LinkedIn or Face book…