Primary school stakeholders in Mangochi District and across the country have raised serious concerns over the management of Free Primary Education (FPE) funds, alleging that schools have been left unable to meet their day-to-day operational costs after the District Education Office directed them to purchase centrally produced examination papers at double the prices they were paying before .
According to information shared with Cables by several stakeholders, the FPE programme was introduced to relieve parents of financial contributions while providing schools with government funding based on learner enrolment.
Schools are required to prepare budgets, which are approved by the District Education Office, to finance essential operations such as examinations, teaching and learning materials, maintenance, and security.
However, stakeholders allege that schools were instructed not to produce their own examination papers.
Instead, the District Education Office reportedly printed the examinations and required schools to pay for every examination script using their FPE allocations.
School administrators claim the cost of the centrally produced examination papers was significantly higher than what schools previously spent when producing the examinations independently.
They further revealed that the payments consumed nearly all of their FPE allocations, leaving schools without funds to pay watchmen, purchase essential learning materials, carry out maintenance, or finance other routine operations.
Stakeholders also question whether the arrangement offered value for money, arguing that while schools surrendered funds intended to support a wide range of activities, the District Education Office only supplied examination papers.
The concerns extend beyond examination printing. According to the stakeholders, schools were initially informed that Standard 7 examinations would be centrally marked at the Teachers’ Development Centre (TDC) to improve the credibility of the results and strengthen the next Standard 8 cohort.
However, they allege that the plan was abandoned at the last minute after the office reportedly cited a lack of funds and instead instructed schools to conduct the marking themselves.
Further revelations suggest that schools are sometimes compelled to procure teaching and learning materials from suppliers allegedly recommended by officials at the District Education Office before School Improvement Grant (SIG) expenditures are approved.
Stakeholders have told cables that the prices charged by these suppliers are often higher than those available from other vendors, raising concerns about procurement practices and value for money.
School administrators are now questioning how they will continue operating after exhausting the funds that were intended to support the daily running of schools.
Cables has independently verified these allegations and observed serious issues in transparency, procurement practices, and financial accountability in the implementation of the Free Primary Education programme in Mangochi District and other districts .
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