By Isaac Salima:
The Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) has disclosed that examination results will not be accessed through social media, a departure from tradition.
Maneb Executive Director Dorothy Nampota said the measure has been adopted to safeguard the confidentiality of the results.
On Tuesday, Maneb announced results of Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) and Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations.
As has been the tradition lately, people used to access results through portable document formats (PDF) posted on social media and various online platforms.
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However, Nampota said the results will only be accessed in centres and schools where students sat examinations, saying people have been complaining about lack of privacy when the results are posted on social media.
“This time, we are not releasing the PDF [document] on social media and we would like to hear from the general public on their take on this. Ethically, examination results are supposed to be confidential. People have been asking why the whole country should know that they have failed or passed. We will hear what will be the general public’s take on this stand,” Nampota said.
However, others are of the view that, in the digital era, this is denying some students, especially those in remote areas and those who cover long distances to get to school, an opportunity to see the results easily.
Governance and social commentator Wonderful Mkhutche has, meanwhile, asked Maneb to find ways of sharing the results without compromising privacy and subjecting candidates to inconvenience.
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“Maneb’s position can be understood by looking at what has been happening in previous years. When the results are out, there has not been privacy.
“However, to balance the issue, Maneb can have two versions of the results, where one with few details can be released for the social media while the other— with all the information reserved for students that will access them at their schools— can be sent to schools,” Mkhutche said.
On Tuesday, Maneb released results of this year’s PSLCE and JCE examinations, with a mixed picture in terms of pass rates.
While the pass rate in PSLCE examinations has significantly improved from 83.24 percent last year to 87.77 percent this year, the rate in JCE examinations has marginally dropped, from 73.07 percent last year to 72.65 percent this year.
Maneb indicated that out of 267,330 candidates who sat PSLCE examinations this year, 234,645 have passed.
This, in other words, means that 32,685 learners have failed to get a PSLCE certificate.
Out of 168,219 candidates who sat this year’s JCE examinations, about 122,219 have passed.
This means that 46,000 students have failed to Jump Carefully, as JC is widely put in many circles.
Nkhata Bay leads the list of best performing districts in PSLCE examinations at 97.09 percent, followed by Zomba Urban, Rumphi, Mzuzu City, Phalombe, Likoma, Zomba Rural, Mulanje, Dedza and Thyolo.
On the other hand, Dowa leads the list of poorly performing districts in PSLCE examinations, followed by Nsanje, Salima, Mangochi, Blantyre City, Neno, Chiradzulu, Balaka Nkhotakota and Ntcheu.
Alinafe Chulu, a female student from Playdor Private Primary School in Blantyre, has emerged as the overall best student while Henderson Levison of Nampeya Primary School in Machinga has emerged as the top male student.
A total of 96,112 students have been selected to start form one in public secondary schools, representing 40.96 percent of those who have passed.
This means that 138,533 students will either have to go to private schools or repeat standard eight.
Education Minister Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima said her ministry is happy with the results of the two examinations.
Among other things, Kambauwa Wirima said the examinations were administered under tough conditions when other districts were recovering from the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.
Kambauwa Wirima described the PSLCE performance as a new record which, she said, surpasses the 85 percent target set for 2025 in the National Education Sector Investment Plan.
“We are very happy with the results,” she said.
