The Mama Khadija Girls Academy of Al Barakah Charity Trust has been temporarily closed following violent student protests that erupted at the school on Monday. The students reportedly went on rampage due to disagreements with the school authorities over the food they were served, which the students claimed were unhealthy.
The protests, which started on Saturday saw four students suspended over the weekend and a further two students by Monday. It is reported that the school gave the students rotten vegetables that led to other students suffering from stomach related problems prompting them to complain the matter to their Boarding Master who allegedly rebuffed them.
“The two students who were suspended on Monday called their parents to come and pick them. So, when the parents came, they found that the school management was locked in an emergency meeting with the students…. However, while they were in the waiting room, the commotion erupted and the students started stoning and vandalizing teaching and learning materials,” a well-placed source familiar with the incident told Malawi Muslims Official Website.
Talking to the Principal of the school proved futile as he was reportedly in a meeting.
As we went online, other students were on their way home after the management demanded the closure of the school.
But speaking earlier to Radio Islam, the Principal for the school Sheikh Abdullah Noor, said that the school has been temporarily closed because the students were boycotting classes due to examination problems which he did not elaborate.
However, one of Mama Khadija Girls Academy’s student’s parents who spoke on condition of anonymity with Malawi Muslims Official Website disputed the Principal’s statement and confirmed that the issue is actually about the food disagreement and not examinations.
He therefore lamented that he is very saddened with the development considering that some of the students will be sitting for MSCE examinations soon.
The school is expected to be re-opened in early March.
Mama Khadija Private Girls’ Academy is a state of the art secondary school complex based in Namwera 38-km away from Mangochi, the southern district of Malawi with a capacity of 1000 students. It is the main project of Al-Barakah Charity Trust and is headed by Sheikh Abdullah Noor from Sudan.
