Maravi

Pupils at Mazabuka school riot over exams
By Lemmy Likando in Mazabuka
Wed 09 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT

OVER 140 grade twelve pupils from Santa Josephs Private School in Mazabuka have rioted, destroying school property worth thousands of kwacha following failure by school authorities to secure an Examinations Council of Zambia centre.

The pupils at the school, located in Kaleya, about eight kilometers from Mazabuka town, ran amok, setting the library on fire.

They were incensed upon being informed by the school director Joseph Mulenga that they would not write their examinations this year but next year because a teacher whom the school engaged to help secure them a place misappropriated their examination fees.

Mulenga, who said the school had done its best in securing a place for them, regretted that someone had misused the money.

Meanwhile, a teacher from Kaonga High School who offered to assist the private school in securing a centre for the pupils to write their exams from, has been arrested and remanded in police custody for embezzling over K18,000, which they paid to him.

Robert Haloba, a senior teacher at Kaonga Secondary School, who earlier promised to make arrangements on behalf of their school, is alleged to have collected the money which he later embezzled, thereby failing to secure a centre for the pupils.

Southern Province police commissioner Charity Katanga, who confirmed Haloba's arrest, stated that he was believed to have pocketed the more than K18,000 meant for boarding and examination fees which he collected from Santa Joseph's pupils, assuring them that they would write their examinations at Namulundu Secondary School in Kafue.

However, the pupils, who gathered at Kaonga Secondary School, where they were scheduled to board buses, dragged Haloba to Mazabuka Central Police Station when it became evident that they would not travel to Namulundu for their exams.

Haloba has been charged with obtaining money by false pretences and will appear in court soon.

And an affected pupil, Naliet Moonga disclosed that management at the school ordered the 150 pupils to pay K500 for accommodation while in Kafue and K302 as examination fees per pupil.

And a cross section of affected parents who besieged the police station upon learning of the development demanded that Haloba pay them back their money.

Labels: EDUCATION

posted by MrK @ 7:08 PM