The short-sightedness of the former Democratic Progressive Party regime led to the discontinuation of the Junior Certificate of Education administration in the country. However, the youth-centric Chakwera administration has revived it.
As a result, the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) has announced that everything is in place for the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) exams, which begin today. This year, 163,950 candidates will take the exams, a slight decrease from the 168,219 candidates last year.
Maneb spokesperson Angella Kashitigu emphasized their collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safety of all examination centers. She also reminded the candidates that cheating is a punishable offense and urged them to maintain integrity.
“We are also appealing to the general public to alert Maneb and other relevant authorities in case of any suspected malpractice during the examination period.
“In terms of conduct during the examinations period, we are just reminding the candidates as well as concerned stakeholders that cheating is an offence, hence those found engaging in such malpractices will be liable to prosecution,” Kashitigu said.
Meanwhile, her counterpart in the Ministry of Education Mphatso Nkuonera has echoed the sentiments, saying they are anticipating an improved pass rate in the examinations.
“We, as the Ministry of Education, are expecting better results than those of 2023 examinations,” he said. Last year, 122,219 candidates passed JCE examinations from 168,219 candidates that sat the same, representing a 72.65 percent pass rate.
However, the pass rate was a decrease—albeit slightly— when compared to the 2022 JCE examinations, which had a pass rate of 73.07 percent.
