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If the government can approve a 100% increase in tuition fees at public universities, where do they expect ordinary Malawians to find the money to educate their children?
How will parents who are civil servants, small business owners struggling in a broken economy, employees earning meager wages in foreign-owned shops, or those who are unemployed afford these costs?
If tuition can be increased by 100%, then Malawians should equally demand a 100% salary increase.
The same government that approved this tuition hike should also ensure that such salary adjustments are implemented within the same timeframe.
And for those who are unemployed, the government’s responsibility is to create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive so that people can earn a living. Instead, businesses are struggling under a severe foreign exchange shortage. Many small enterprises are collapsing, while those still operating are taking enormous risks just to survive.
What about our farmers? Where are they expected to get the money for these increased tuition fees when they are forced to sell their produce at low prices, often below the cost of production?
Many farmers are operating at a loss despite being the backbone of our economy.
A 100% increase in tuition fees without addressing the economic realities facing citizens is not only unfair it places higher education beyond the reach of many deserving young Malawians.
Government policies should reflect the lived experiences of the people, ensuring that education remains an opportunity, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it.
Leadership is about making decisions that reflect the realities of the people you serve.
Policies that place a heavier burden on already struggling families without corresponding improvements in incomes demonstrate a lack of empathy and poor judgment.
Education should be made more accessible, not pushed further out of reach for the very citizens whose future depends on it.
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