Angry students burn Thyolo Secondary School

Thyolo Secondary School students on Wednesday night destroyed school property, including burning one of the administration blocks, in frustration over alleged mismanagement at the institution. 

The development comes barely two weeks after students from Blantyre Secondary School also held protests that resulted in the indefinite closure of the school.

During a visit to the school around 10 am yesterday students were seen walking off a dusty road with their luggage to board minibuses at the nearby bus stop.

At the school campus, some workers were seen putting out the flames to rescue some of the property. parents and guardians were seen at the school trying to find out what had happened.

All the while the school’s management was locked up in a meeting with officials from the district education office.

After the meeting, however, the head teacher Isaac Longwe declined to comment while Shire Highlands Education Division manager Evelyn Mjima said she was yet to get facts.

However, a student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the school authorities have been expelling students without valid reasons and procedures and   replaced them with students from elsewhere.

“In addition, we protested against poor diet,” said the student.

The students claimed they had failed to engage the authorities to address the problems.

When contacted, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Justin Saidi said he would get back to us which he never did by the time we went to press.