LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-In a dramatic turn of events, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has reverted to September 22 as the official schools’ opening date for the 2025/26 academic year.
The reversal came just hours after the ministry had announced that schools would open on September 15 this year.
In its earlier statement, the ministry justified the September 15 date by arguing that the adjustment was meant to give students who registered for the general elections while at school an opportunity to participate in the voting process.
However, in a surprising development, the ministry issued another statement around midnight, clarifying that the academic calendar had not changed and that the schools would indeed open on September 22 as initially planned.
The statement further emphasized that “any communication to the contrary, whether circulating on social media or elsewhere, should be disregarded.”
The sudden U-turn sparked a heated debate on social media, with many critics accusing the ministry of indecisiveness and poor communication.
Education think tanks also weighed in, questioning why such sensitive announcements were being made on short notice and then retracted almost immediately.
“Such flip-flopping on critical matters points to a serious lack of coordination and weak policy management,” said Dr. Martha Chikuse, an education policy expert at the University of Malawi. “The ministry must understand that education calendars affect millions of families, and decisions should not be handled this casually.”
Parents also expressed frustration, saying the abrupt changes placed unnecessary financial and emotional strain on households.
“I had already bought uniforms and arranged transport for my children to start on September 15,” said Lilongwe parent Grace Phiri. “Now everything has been pushed back again, and we are left confused and inconvenienced.”
Teachers, too, voiced concern over the confusion.
“As teachers we plan our lessons and personal schedules around the official calendar,” said secondary school teacher Patrick Banda from Blantyre. “When dates change without proper consultation, it disrupts our preparations and creates uncertainty in the classroom.”
Some stakeholders warned that such conflicting information has the potential to disrupt parents’ planning, affect students’ readiness, and undermine confidence in the education sector.
Others argued that the confusion reflects a deeper problem of weak coordination within government departments and a lack of respect for proper communication protocols.
Observers say the incident has highlighted the urgent need for the ministry to streamline its communication channels and adopt a more coordinated approach to managing critical announcements.
In conclusion, the confusion over the schools’ opening date has exposed significant lapses in government communication and decision-making processes. Unless the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education improves its planning and consistency, public trust in its ability to manage the education system effectively will remain in question.