Teacher swindling examination fees for 21 pupils in Dowa

At least 21 Standard 8 candidates at Manondo Primary School in Dowa will not sit for this year’s Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) MANEB Examinations scheduled to commence this morning after one of the school’s teachers identified as Obed Kasonda Bwetu allegedly misappropriated their examination fees.

one of the affected learners, Allan Chithodwe, has described the news as a deterrent to their academic future.

He says that in the year 2022 their head teacher called for a meeting between parents and school authorities where he informed them that they were supposed to send examination fees through Airtel Money or bank on their own.

Chithodwe says at the meeting, some parents complained that they would not manage to pay directly on their own and therefore agreed to choose Bwetu to help the candidates pay to MANEB but it has been revealed that the teacher allegedly sent the money for 69 candidates only.

Spokesperson for MANEB Mayamiko Chiwaya, says having done all processes regarding the exams, there is nothing that they can do to help the affected learners.

Meanwhile, police in the district say they have since arrested Bwetu and charged him with an offence of obtaining money through false pretense.