Maneb set for national exams e-registration

Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) says it is set to roll out electronic registration of candidates in national examination as the initiative is key to checking against abuse of examination fees.

Maneb executive director Gerald Chiunda expressed the sentiments in Zomba on Thursday when Minister of Education, Science and Technology Agnes Nyalonje made her maiden visit to the board where, among other things, she received 25 desktop computers meant for district education offices nationwide to facilitate e-registration processes of examinations.

He said: “If fully utilised, we believe that this innovation would help address the problem of embezzlement of [examination] fees.”

Chiunda described the unfortunate tendency by some school administrators to misappropriate examination fees as one of the major challenges that has for some time paralysed the board towards provision of credible national examinations.

The electronic platform, he said, will allow real time transmission of registration data and fees payment. Besides, it will enable candidates or their guardians to directly register for examinations with the board and directly deposit the examination fees into the Maneb bank account.

The e-registration will also facilitate reconciliation of candidates’ data and the deposited examination fees thereby increasing the board’s levels of efficiency.

On the suspended 2020 examinations, Chiunda said: “The 2020 national examinations whose examination timetables were suspended due to the global health crisis of Covid-19, we would like to assure that all preparations were finalised and once the schools reopen the board will issue new examination timetables.”

On her part, Nyalonje expressed optimism that the capturing and management of data at district level will catalyse the credible management of examinations.

“The system will also reduce costs incurred in recapturing data that used to be incorrectly captured at district levels which at times led to untold misery to the affected students,” she said.