By Chisomo Phiri

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost )-University of Malawi (UNIMA) education students on Thursday staged a demonstration at the university’s main campus in Zomba to protest several issues with the school administration.

In an interview with journalists,the leader of the student group, known as the Education Society(ES), Funika Deborah Kabinda, said their main demand is the removal of a fee Unima imposed on students for their teaching practice placements in various schools.

Kabinda said on April 28 this year, the students wrote to the administration requesting the fee’s removal, giving them a seven-day deadline to respond,but the deadline passed without a reply.

She explained that the protests began in the morning at the faculty’s offices but, receiving no response, they moved to the main campus administration offices.

The students also complained about not receiving any allowance during their teaching practice, unlike students in other programs who receive stipends for their practical training placements.

UNIMA offers a wide range of education programs through its various schools and departments.

The university offers Bachelor of Education degrees in various fields, including Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Language, Science, and Social Studies.

These programs are typically 4 years long and focus on specific subjects or areas of education.

The university also offers Master of Education degrees in fields such as Education Philosophy, Sociology of Education, Testing, Measurement and Evaluation, Educational Psychology, and Policy and Leadership.

UNIMA also offers Doctoral programs, including Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Doctor of Philosophy in Policy Planning and Leadership.