Maneb says will deal with exam hiccups
Malawi National E x a m i n a t i o n s Board (Maneb) h a s a c k n o w l e d g e d glitches encountered in the ongoing 2024 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations and says the issues will be handled administratively.
Maneb stated the position in a statement yesterday after it emerged that candidates had a rude awakening during Geography Paper One which lacked a map reference for a question that carried 35 marks.
In another incident, Physics examination paper meant for Mangochi, Joy Private and Mpondasi Community Day secondary schools in Mangochi District were sent to Chikwawa. The candidates in Mangochi were forced to sit the paper few hours later after being quarantined pending delivery of the examination papers.
Maneb ex e c u t i v e director Professor Dorothy Nampota in a statement yesterday acknowledged the challenges in the administration of this year’s MSCE examinations and said a probe has already been launched to establish what led to the missing of the map for Geography Paper One yesterday.
Reads the statement is part: “The matter [of missing of map] was dealt with administratively immediately it was reported and the examination concluded well across the country.
“Similar administrative action will be taken during marking and subsequent processes following guidelines for handling such instances which were duly approved by the Maneb board of directors.”
When contacted later, Nampota said the Geography paper with missing map was the only serious problem the 2024 MSCE examination has so far encountered and appealed to candidates not press a panic button.
“Examinations are still underway, but so far this is the major challenge that we have encountered,” she said.
Commenting on the development, Civil Society Education Coalition executive director Benedicto Kondowe said challenges encountered so far reflected laxity in the preparation and vetting of the examination papers.
About 184 978 candidates are sitting this year’s MSCE exams which is about 20 percent increase from 154 762 students who sat year.
The examinations are expected to be concluded tomorrow.
