Naughty MSCE candidates risk disqualification
Honeymoon for naughty Form Four students, who cause havoc in their respective schools during and after writing their national examinations is over as the Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) has vowed to disqualify them all.
Maneb Public Relations Officer, Simeon Maganga, speaking in an interview yesterday, said the Board has since engaged its in-house drama group to spread the word in selected districts across the country in an exercise dubbed “Anti- Examination Cheating Campaign”.
“We’ve been getting informal reports that some candidates, mostly those in Form Four, choose to misbehave during and after sitting for MSCE examination, claiming they are no longer under their respective schools but Maneb.
“Some of these candidates even go to the extent of vandalising school property, assaulting invigilators and/or their teachers, teasing and bullying their fellow students in lowers classes and engaging in all sorts of misbehaviour,” said Maganga.
He said the campaign, which is dominated by anti-cheating messages, is also aimed at reminding students and teachers that should this happen, the Board will evoke Maneb (Conduct of Examination) Regulation 29 (20) which provides for immediate disqualification of the culprits in the entire examination.
Maganga, however, said for Maneb to evoke this provision, supervisors or heads of schools should formally lodge a complaint to Maneb, singling out such naughty candidates by providing their names and examination numbers. Otherwise, Maneb could not act based on heresy.
On why using drama in spreading the messages, Maganga said on top of using speeches, brochures and posters, Maneb is using drama, music and poetry as edutainment leaves lasting impressions on the audience, hence the messages could not easily be forgotten.
Maneb (Conduct of Examinations) Regulation 29 (20) provides for disqualification of any candidate who harasses or intimidates any member of staff, any candidate or any student at an Examination Administration Centre; or wilfully destroys, damages or vandalises any property at an Examination Administration Centre.
As regards cheating during examinations, Maneb Act Section 4 and 5 provided for a fine of K50, 000 and two years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for candidates; and K300, 000 and 10 years IHL for non-candidates.
Maneb was established by an Act of Parliament in 1987 to administer national examinations for purposes of certification, selection and placement
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
