By Jones Gadama
The first cohort of Education students at the University of Blantyre Synod who graduated on 24 April 2026 are yet to receive their degree certificates, leaving many struggling to prove qualifications during job interviews.
The affected graduates include those who completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and others who finished the University Certificate of Education (UCE) programme.
Both groups graduated together during the university’s April congregation, but two months later they have not been issued official certificates.
Several graduates told 247Malawi.com that the delay is costing them employment opportunities.
“I have attended multiple interviews for teaching positions, but I cannot produce my certificate,” one graduate said. “Employers ask for it and when I explain, they move on to other candidates. It is frustrating.”
Another graduate noted that some schools and institutions will not accept graduation transcripts or letters of confirmation alone.
“Without the actual degree certificate, you look unqualified even after four years of study,” he said.
University of Blantyre Synod management has not issued a public statement on the delay. Students say they have made repeated inquiries at the registrar’s office but have received no clear timeline for when certificates will be ready.
Education stakeholders say timely issuance of certificates is critical for graduates entering the job market, especially in teaching where proof of qualification is mandatory for registration with the Teaching Service Commission.
The delay has raised questions about administrative processes at the newly established university, which celebrated its first graduation in April this year.
For now, the pioneer Education graduates remain in limbo, qualified on paper but unable to fully claim their credentials.
Efforts to get a comment from the university’s administration were unsuccessful at press time.
