By Vincent Gunde
Counsel Silvester Ayuba James, the Member of Parliament for Nkhotakota Central Constituency, has taken a firm stand against private schools after revealing he deducted fees for the days his sponsored students were barred from attending classes due to his temporary financial constraints.
The lawyer and legislator disclosed that several children under his bursary scheme were locked out of the classroom for over a week because he was unable to settle their fees on time. Despite pleading with school administrations for leniency, Ayuba James said he was met with a lack of sympathy, leaving him feeling helpless for the orphans under his care and deeply angered by the experience.
In a post on his Facebook page, Ayuba James explained that upon receiving funds yesterday, he employed a mathematical approach to settle the accounts. He divided the total term fees by the number of weekdays in the term to arrive at a daily rate. He then multiplied this rate by the number of days his wards were excluded from learning.
For students in private day schools, he deposited the total fees minus the amount corresponding to the missed days. For those in boarding schools, he deducted the cost of meals for the days they were denied access to the facilities.
“I deposited all amounts that I found payable upon those deductions, notifying each school that fees have been paid while attaching the receipts in respect of each of them,” Ayuba James stated.
However, his calculations were rejected by four of the schools involved. According to the MP, the bursars at these institutions are insisting on full payment, calling the deducted amounts outstanding balances. Ayuba James has stood his ground, challenging the four schools to take the matter to court. He has warned that if they dare to send his wards away again, he will sue them.
He questioned the logic behind paying for a service that was not rendered, asking why a beneficiary should be charged for the time they were physically kept out of school.
The MP’s stance has resonated with the public. A concerned citizen, Mrs. Elizabeth Kaliza Banda of Area 51 in Lilongwe, has thanked Ayuba James for highlighting a critical issue affecting many parents. She noted that his actions serve as a lesson against the common practice where schools suspend students for non-payment and then demand full fees upon their return, disregarding the weeks of instruction they missed.
Kaliza Banda expressed hope that the outcome of the MP’s confrontation with the schools will set a positive precedent, encouraging a fairer “win-win approach” where parents are not charged for periods when their children are barred from learning.
