Four weeks ago, I joined fellow Dedza Secondary School (DSS) alumni at the awards ceremony which took place at the school campus. We were there to award 36 candidates that shone during the 2023 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations. Popularly known as ‘Mighty Box 48’, DSS is no stranger to the circles of academic excellence.
Visiting the campus of a school I left some decades ago invokes nostalgic feelings. This is where we, sons of the wananchi, brushed shoulders with sons of Cabinet ministers, principal secretaries, diplomats and the like. To some of us who came from not-well-to-do families, our association with sons of these big kahunas was a blessing in disguise. Policymakers at Capital Hill ensured that quality of education and standards at the school were not compromised.
Probably, they knew that failure to do so would put their sons and wards at a disadvantage. They ensured that the school was well funded by the government. We made friends with their sons, who shared with us the food their parents gave them. Some even invited us to their houses in the suburbs.
During the ceremony, 36 best performing students who scored points from the range of six to 12 were awarded certificates and cash prizes, ranging from K100,000 to K300,000, based on the points scored. Teachers whose subjects registered outstanding candidates received cash prizes ranging from K150,000 to K500,000.
Moved by the dwindling performance of students, in 2018, the school’s alumni introduced the awards in order to recognise those who perform well. And it looks like the innovation is bearing fruits, if the current performance of the students at the school is anything to go by. The awards have been a source of motivation.
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For example, during the 2023 MSCE examinations, for the first time DSS produced two students who scored six points. This is a rare feat for candidates at a public secondary school, as they face problems associated with some public institutions in the country. Thumbs up to fellow alumni for working hard to restore the glory of our prestigious secondary school days.
DSS has a rich history in the country’s education system. It is the second government secondary school. Officially established in April 1951, DSS is indisputably an oasis of academic excellence. In its formative years, it offered education up to form six, before it was—for whatever reasons—later downsized to an ordinary secondary school. This is also where the first campus of Bunda College of Agriculture, now Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was situated before, around 1967, it was relocated to its current campus in Lilongwe.
Notable people have walked through the corridors of this school. These include two former presidents, namely Bingu wa Mutharika and Peter Mutharika; Cabinet ministers; former Chief Justice Richard Banda; High Court Judge Professor Redson Kapindu; former Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango; Apostle Madalitso Mbewe and many others who are making an impact both within and outside Malawi.
Despite its rich history and having achieved all this, DSS is in pathetic state. The moment you branch into the dusty road to the school, you start noticing tell-tale signs of what to expect at the school. The road is littered with potholes and jugged stones exposed by years of negligence, making you think you are visiting an abandoned military barracks in a war-torn country.
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The sorry state of most infrastructure bears testimony to the extent of neglect of the school. The unkempt surroundings and the derelict structures tell it all. And the stale smell that wafts across your nostrils while inside hostels explains how over-crowded the hostels are.
DSS could probably be just a tip of the iceberg regarding the state of affairs in most public education institutions. Even public tertiary education institutions have their fair share of woes.
In their current state, even educationists at Capital Hill may not feel comfortable to send their wards to most of these public education institutions. Instead, most of them would prefer sending their wards to private education institutions within or abroad for ‘’better education’’. Consequently, public academic institutions are patronised by sons and daughters of the wananchi who cannot afford to pay prohibitive fees at private schools.
However, all is not lost. Alumni from these public secondary schools have proven to be helpful in salvaging the situation. All that is required is for these alumni to undertake their activities in a coordinated manner. They should avoid petty competition among themselves because this could only lead to the duplication of efforts.
On its part, the government should seriously embark on infrastructure development and rehabilitation works at these public schools. Government should also institutionalize organised systems of reward for teachers to motivate them.
Remember, the reputation of any nation is, in part, enhanced by the standards of education it offers to its citizens and quality of graduates it produces. We can only achieve this by harnessing our collective efforts as citizens, civil society, public and private sector players.
