Claim: The Nation online newspaper reported in a feature article on June 6, 2025, that many Malawian schoolgirls are being expelled from boarding schools due to accusations of bed camping, which is the practice of sharing items or pairing up in what are often interpreted as same-sex romantic relationships (archived here).

Verdict: PARTLY FALSE

Methodology

This report uses original sources, such as official publications, scholarly research, and documented cases from Malawian educational institutions, to evaluate the claim’s credibility. The investigation looks at the material that is currently available about school disciplinary procedures and places the extent of dorm overcrowding in context.

Evidence and Analysis

The primary reason cited in the article for this practice is the “acute shortage of beds” and “overcrowding” in boarding schools due to limited resources. The article states that school authorities and some parents perceive this practice as potentially leading to “lesbian tendencies” or “homosexual practices”

No academic studies or systematic research were found that establish “bed camping” as an indicator of same-sex relationships among schoolgirls. Many students engage in “safe boarding” arrangements, renting basic accommodation near schools to avoid dangerous commutes, which represents a survival strategy rather than relationship choice.

One hostel at Bandawe females Secondary School has 180 females instead of the 90 who were supposed to be there, which leads to “two girls sharing one bed.” This crowding is recognised as “generally not hygienically conducive” and fosters conditions that facilitate the transmission of illnesses.

Bed sharing is only one aspect of the infrastructural crisis; there are also serious deficiencies in essential amenities. The hostel at Lufilya Community Day Secondary School needed 42 more beds because there were only 10 for every 100 boarding students. Girls were “top-and-tailing in beds that were not damaged” at Kapanda Community Day Secondary School because of shattered bed frames.

Malawi maintains a highly restrictive legal environment regarding same-sex relationships. Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized under the Penal Code with penalties up to 14 years imprisonment.

The Constitutional Court of Malawi rejected a case in June 2024 that attempted to legalise same-sex partnerships. LGBTQ+ kids in Malawian schools face systematic prejudice, according to research. The grounds of “perceived sexual orientation or gender identity” have been used to remove students from secondary schools and universities. LGBT students experience marginalisation and bullying, and others are compelled to drop out of school early.

There are documented instances where students were expelled from schools due to accusations of homosexuality, demonstrating how frequently educational institutions fail to protect or assist LGBTQ+ students.

Conclusion

According to the most current and trustworthy official statistics, the claim is PARTLY FALSE. Though bed-sharing in Malawian schools is mostly caused by extreme overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and financial limitations rather than interpersonal interactions, the term “bed camping” does occur in disciplinary situations.

This fact-check was produced by Collins Mtika of the Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi (CIJM) as part of the African Fact-Checking Alliance’s (AFCA) incubation programme. It was produced with peer-mentorship from Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, PesaCheck, with financial support from Norway.

AFCA mentorship respects the journalistic independence of the researchers, offering access to advanced techniques and tools. Editorial decision-making remains with the Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi. Want to learn more? Visit: https://factcheck.africa/