Students from Chikhwaza Secondary School in Mulanje stormed the Shire Highlands Education Division offices demanding answers following a night of unrest, according to Malawi24. Students alleged that police officers fired teargas and beat learners during a dispute over student leadership positions. The confrontation forced several students to abandon their dormitories and seek shelter at the nearby Khaya Primary School.
In higher education, the government has challenged public universities to translate ongoing institutional reforms into measurable outcomes, according to an update from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS). Speaking at a signing ceremony for public sector reform commitments in Blantyre, Education Minister Bright Msaka directed academic leaders to take ownership of the changes. MUBAS Vice-Chancellor Associate Professor Nancy Chitera noted that the institution's reforms will target agriculture, industrialisation, human capital development, financial sustainability, and governance.
Meanwhile, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) Professor Kennedy Machira has warned that Malawi risks losing its demographic dividend without deliberate actions to improve youth productivity. Nation Online reports that during his inaugural professorial lecture at the Bunda Campus, Machira called for youth incubation programmes and stronger connections between universities and farming communities to ensure young people participate in economic development.
In primary education news, the Beautify Malawi (Beam) Trust handed over a solar-powered water reticulation system and a girls' changing room at MTD's Primary School in Lilongwe, according to MBC. Supported by funding from NBS Bank, the project aims to address poor sanitation and hygiene conditions that contribute to absenteeism and school dropouts. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Alfred Gangata commended the initiative and warned against the vandalism of public school infrastructure.