Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) has played down the impact of delayed delivery of identity (ID) cards for Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations candidates, saying they will be available this weekend.
The candidate IDs were scheduled to be delivered to schools two weeks before the start of the examinations.
Communication from Maneb executive director Professor Dorothy Nampota to directors of education and sports in district councils dated May 13 2025, attributed the delay to foreign exchange challenges the supplier faced.
Reads the communication: “In the event that the identity cards are delivered after the examinations have already started, we request that head teachers should help to identify their learners at the entrance of examination rooms. No registered candidate should miss the examinations because of lack of an identity card.”
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Nampota said Maneb was supposed to deliver IDs to schools two weeks before the begining of the exams on May 21 2025.
“But we have been assured by the supplier that the IDs will be delivered to us this weekend so they will be dispatched to schools before the exams start,” she said.
The PSLCE examinations will run from May 23 to May 25 with 257 129 registered candidates.
In an interview yesterday, quality education advocate Benedicto Kondowe said the delay could create undue anxiety and confusion among candidates, especially in rural areas where communication and supervision are already limited.
He observed that the manual identification as suggested by Maneb could increase the risk of impersonation and could also place additional administrative burdens on invigilators, potentially affecting the smooth conduct of the examinations.
Moving forward, Kondowe said Maneb should consider an ID procurement system that does not require forex.
In a separate interview, Teachers Union of Malawi general secretary Charles Kumchenga said the IDs delay contradicts Maneb’s statement on May 8 2025 that stated that all necessary security measures were in place to ensure credible examinations.
Maneb will also administer the Junior Certificate of Education examinations from June 3 to June 12 and Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations from July 1 to July 25.
This year, 626 038 candidates have registered to sit for the national examinations, an increase from 611 144 candidates who registered in 2024.
