By Brenda Kayo, Jarson Malowa, Samuel Kalimira & Daniel Zimba:
One thousand three hundred and sixty-six centres were abuzz with activity across the country yesterday, when the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) started administering Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
Although 202,940 candidates were expected to sit the examinations Monday, some of the MSCE candidates did not turn up for scheduled examinations in some of the centres we visited.
This notwithstanding, school authorities said MSCE examinations started on a good note in most parts of the country.
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Last year, Maneb administered Agriculture Paper I (Theory).
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Visits to examination centres indicated that there were no cases of cheating.
On the day, some candidates at Bwaila Secondary School heaved a sigh of relief when they were allowed into the examination room after paying examination fees in full.
The school’s deputy head teacher Nthope Mzumara said balances were settled.
She said the candidates were well prepared for the examinations, adding that teachers had done their best to prepare them the examinations.
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“We expect that everything will go on well and that the candidates will pass the examinations well. We are expecting good results to surpass the results of last year,” Mzumara said.
One of the candidates, Suzen Makweza, expressed optimism that she would perform well.
“I have studied all I could and I have put everything in God’s hands,” Makweza said.
Our crew also visited Mkwichi Secondary School, where it found that candidates arrived at the examination centre before 8 o’clock.
Deputy head teacher for the school, John Munthali, said the school had not countered any challenge on the first day.
Bwaila Secondary School has 737 candidates sitting for 2025 MSCE examinations while Mkwichi Secondary School has 749 candidates.
One candidate was confirmed absent at Mkwichi Secondary School.
At Likangala Secondary School in Zomba, 317 internal candidates started entering the examinations room at 7:37am.
15-year-old Favour Katopola said their teachers made sure that the candidates complete syllabi.
“Our teachers have prepared us well and, as such, we are ready for the examinations,” she said.
Senior teacher at Likangala Secondary School, McLoyd Nkhambule Phiri, said “everything is in place”.
Last year, 177,434 candidates sat MSCE examinations.
This year’s figure represented a 14.37 percent increase.
Basic Education Minister Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima said Monday that the ministry was impressed with how examinations had started as no serious challenge was reported.
Wirima said this after visiting Bwengu Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Mzimba North.
Wirima said the increase in the number of students sitting the examinations was due to the increase in the number of secondary schools and the introduction of open distance learning in other schools. She then said following chilly weather in some areas, candidates should be allowed to put on warm clothes, but after proper search as required by examination laws.
“The government will continue constructing new secondary schools, maintaining old structures and also expanding e-learning programmes so that many leaners from primary school can have access to secondary education,” Kambauwa Wirima said.
At Bwengu CDSS, 208 candidates are sitting examinations, of whom 110 are female.
The minister also visited Enukweni and Bolero CDSSs in Mzimba and Rumphi District, respectively.
In Blantyre, candidates started sitting examinations at exactly 8 o’clock in the morning.
Examination administration officers reported satisfaction with progress at various centres, including Njamba Secondary School, Njamba CDSS and Catholic Institute (CI) CDSS.
At Njamba Secondary School, for example, examination coordinator Lameck Kaonga said they had not registered any challenge on the first day.
“So far, so good,” Kaonga said.
Priscilla Mkwate, one of the candidates sitting examinations at CI CDSS, said she had prepared well for the academic test.
At Njamba Secondary School, 263 candidates are participating, with another 89 at Njamba CDSS and 395 at CI CDSS.
Meanwhile, Link for Education Governance Executive Director Limbani Nsapato has said the increase in the number of candidates is a positive development.
“The figure could have been higher [than now] if not for the high dropout rate at secondary school level. Over the past five years, cases of dropout at secondary school level have averaged 24,000 a year, with total cases of school dropout reaching around 120,000 over the five-year period,” Nsapato said.
MSCE examinations are being administered until July 25.
