JCE, Std 8 pass rates drop
Results for the 2015 Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) and Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations show a slight decline compared to last year.
From the statement jointly issued by the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), there is a five percent drop in JCE and one percent in PSLCE results compared to those of last year.
The statement said 134 490 students sat for JCE examinations and 91 223 have passed, representing a pass rate of 67.8 percent, which is 5.43 percent down compared to the 2014 results in which 124 999 candidates entered and 91 539 passed, representing a pass rate of 73.23 percent.
Further, Maneb and MoEST said 249 031 candidates sat for the 2015 PSLCE examinations and 168 221 pupils have qualified for the award of the certificate, representing a 67.6 percent pass rate. The figures are not quite different from the 2014 results where 259 251 sat for the examinations with 160 966 passing to represent 68.98 percent pass rate, which signifies a 1.38 percent drop this year.
Commenting on the results, education rights activist Limbani Nsapato, who is regional coordinator for African Network Campaign on Education for All (Ancefa), attributed the drop in pass rate to poor learning and teaching environment.
He said: “Factors that are critical for quality improvement such as ensuring trained and qualified and motivated teachers; ensuring that teaching and learning materials are available; and addressing absenteeism of teachers and students as well as promoting a spirit of hard work among students and teachers should be quickly tackle.
