Fresh calls for abolition of examinations fees

Fresh calls have emerged from education experts in the country for the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) to abolish examinations fees to bridge the inequality gap.

The calls come in the wake of a recent failure by 29 817 candidates to pay the fees by the December 31 2023 deadline. The board later extended the period by two weeks.

In separate interviews, quality education activists Limbani Nsapato and Benedicto Kondowe said by expecting candidates pay for examinations, government is working against its own policies in support of increased access to education.

Nsapato, who is executive director of Edukans, said the reason government has programmes such as bursaries and the free primary education is to ensure that every learner attains education, hence the examinations fees are inconsistent with that goal.

He said: “Stakeholders need to meet and make a concrete decision to abolish examinations fees. Examination fees are inconsistent with government policies on access to education.”

Nsapato added that if government wants to maintain examination fees, then it must create a fund for needy students to tap from.

“Delays to do something concrete on the issue will allow a replay of this year’s development in the next school calendar,” he said.

On his part, Kondowe, who is executive director of Civil Society Education Coalition, echoed Nsapato’s sentiments, saying there is a need to reform examinations administration in the country.

He said government should alternatively consider allocating adequate resources to Maneb to allow, among others, a reduction of the fees so that they become affordable to the common person.

Kondowe also called on parents to be responsible and pay for examinations fees for their children.

“It is really not on for parents to have children and then fail to take care of them. It is their responsibility to ensure that their children get the needs they require in life such as good education,” he said.

Ministry of Education spokesperson Mphatso Nkuonera said he needed time to consult as the issue was technical.

Maneb executive secretary Professor Dorothy Nampota is on record as having clarified that there is no examination fees for Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) candidates as they only pay K3 500 for processing identity cards (IDs).

Out of the 29 817 candidates that failed to pay by deadline day 6 454 learners were for PSLCE.

The rest were for Junior Certificate of Education and Malawi School Certificate of Education.