In a dramatic policy reversal, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has reaffirmed that schools across the country will resume on September 22, 2025, for the commencement of the 2025/26 academic year.
The clarification came just hours after the ministry, through its Public Relations Officer, Christopher Kapachika Banda, announced that schools would reopen earlier, on September 15, to enable students who registered for the upcoming general elections while in school to participate in the voting exercise.
The abrupt change triggered widespread backlash on social media, with critics, parents, and education think tanks accusing the ministry of sowing unnecessary confusion through its inconsistent communication.
However, in a late-night statement issued around midnight, the ministry corrected itself, stressing that the official reopening date remains September 22.
“As such, any communication to the contrary, whether circulating on social media or elsewhere, should be disregarded,” the statement read.
Observers have described the ministry’s back-and-forth as a sign of poor coordination and weak stakeholder engagement, urging the government to avoid policy missteps that could affect both students and parents.
With the latest announcement, schools, parents, and students now have clarity, though the episode has raised fresh questions about decision-making processes within the education sector.
