Malawi President’s school targeted in pupils’ protest

Almost a hundred irate pupils from two primary schools in Malawi’s commercial city Blantyre took to the streets and stoned school buildings belonging to the President’s Joyce Banda Foundation in protest against public teachers’ boycott of classes.

The police had to intervene and block gates as pupils from Chimwankhunda and Zingwangwa primary schools stoned Joyce Banda Foundation School buildings, chanting that they wanted equal education in public and private schools.

Teachers in public schools in Malawi joined the civil servants strike on Monday, demanding a 67 percent pay hike.

According to a group of pupils, who were protesting, their teachers abandoned classes almost a week ago and they are tired of not learning.

“They should give our teachers the money they are demanding because we are tired of not learning. We went to Chilobwe Police Station to complain of the situation and they told us to go and tell our problems to President Joyce Banda. That is why we came here. We also want to learn and have a good future,” said one of the pupils.