Barely a week after students at Zomba High School rioted over bad and insufficient food, students at Assalam Boys Private Secondary School in Mangochi on Sunday damaged school’s property over the same problem.
School’s Secretary Limbikani Banda confirmed the development in an interview with Malawi Muslims Official Website on Monday.
“It is true that the students went on strike claiming that the Cook gave them insufficient food. They complained to the boarding master who then told them to get some more but after they got the food, they changed the tune claiming that the food was bad. It is when they started protesting and vandalising school’s properties,” said Banda.
According to Banda, the students smashed administration office’s windows and torched various books.
The incident has since disrupted end of term examinations that were expected to start today.
“The situation here is pathetic. We don’t know what we should do now because the students were supposed to start exams today,” worried one official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the official says the discussions are underway with the management to decide whether it should be closed indefinitely or not.
Assalam Boys Private Secondary School is an education project by Al-Barakah Charity Trust (ACT) which is situated 10 km away from Mangochi town at Changamire Village. It is housed in Assalaam Complex.
Last month, the same incident happened at Mama Khadija Girls Private Academy in Namwera which also belong to ACT. Students at the school which has won acclaim and recognition from the government as a milestone in the provision of education especially to girls, went on strike claiming the school served them with ‘rotten vegetables’ – leading to the indefinite closure of the school but it was later re-opened on March 4.
