Chakwera orders MSCE re-administered in January 2021: HRDC demands heads to roll over Malawi exams fraud
President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) to re-administer 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations before end of January as government cancelled the examinations after several test papers were leaked.
Revelations of the leakage of some examination papers prompted Minister of Education Agnes NyaLonje to call for a news conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday where she announced the cancellation and that fresh examinations will be administered in March 2021.
But in a national address on Thursday morning, President Chakwera ordered that the examinations should be re-administered before end of January 2021.
“To have several secondary school exam papers leaked and the education of hundreds of thousands of students thrown off course is simply unacceptable,” said Chakwera, visibly irked with the development.
He said: “ I am giving the Malawi National Examination Board until the end of January to get a new set of examinations done.”
The President also said Minister of Education must find out who leaked the exams and take action within a week.
“I am giving the Minister of Education one week to work with Maneb to identify and discipline either the people who did this or the officers whose negligence allowed this to happen.
“Whatever the motives, this is clearly a deliberate act occasioned by elements of criminality, impunity and negligence that cannot be allowed to continue.”
NyaLonje assured that government will ensure the next examination process goes well, but warned masterminds of the leakage that they will face the law when traced.
Social commentator Onjezani Kenani posted on Facebook that the examinations had lost credibility.
He said the leakage would affect children in rural areas who used paraffin lamps to study, had no access to the WhatsApp messaging app and would therefore not have had access to the leaked exam papers.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) is demanding immediate resignation or firing of Maneb executive director Gerald Chiunda for gross leadership failure in the management of this year’s MSCE.
In its scathing statement made available to Nyasa Times in response to gross leakage of MSCE examination paper, HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence says Chiunda cannot be trusted with another huge responsibility to preside over yet another examination.
Trapence wants government to put in place measure to absorb the financial burden that guardians and parents are likely going to incur because of this mess.
“In our considered view we do not expect both government and private schools to demand schools’ fees for the possible 4th terms for the candidates,” he said.
“This crisis is costly and a huge embarrassment to the country. It is time someone takes responsibility and be held personally liable for such a mess. The new Malawi we fought for does not take and accommodate mediocrity,” he said.
Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe said implications of the cancellation are that fresh papers have to be formulated and retaken, which would mean taxpayers paying twice to administer the examination.
Education expert Steve Sharra said it will be tough on the part of Maneb to have two cohorts of the MSCE examinations administered in the same year.
He also said such developments affect the integrity of the country’s examinations, as such problems jeopardise the entire education system.
“Institutions of higher learning and even employers don’t want to enrol or hire people whose examination results were compromised. It also makes us a laughing stock in the eyes of other countries,” Sharra said in quotes reported in the press.
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good move by the president. People need to start taking responsibility for their negligence. Jan is fine to re-administer exams. It is not rocket science.
As long as we have the cadets in top positions this will continue. We’ll done Chakwera for showing what leadership is keep it up
We want to see people fired and arrested plz so that who gonna occupy their position must be serious.
The Tonse Spirit. The responsible minister, her PS and MANEB arrived at the March date after consultations where they took a number of factors into consideration. And then comes the president with his unrealistic and stupid directive. I’m sorry to say but Mr Chakwera, don’t you think it’s a bit too early for you to begin to show signs of autocratic rule?
It has happened before in 2007 and examinations were retaken just after 1 month. Why should we stay for 3 months.
Chakwela’s try and error type of leadership. Do you mean the minister made the decision without the knowledge of the president? Such a big decision could come without the president knowing? This is an embarrassment and shame to the minister.
Leave MANEB alone. Tisabwelele Ku nthawi ya Kamuzu when the President was everything. Chakwera must stop there dictatorial tendencies now. He cannot tell MANEB what to do. Period tisamangowombela mmanja nyasi
How was the education that time and this time Nkhandwe iwe?
Akulu inu muli ndi nzeru kumene Koma kapena ukadeti ndiwomwe uku kupweteka?
There you go our women! You were in the streets not long ago displaying your overstanding of equalnes. So what has happened to this Woman headed Ministry??
How many ministers have already been mentioned in dirty deals, are there women?
Nyalonje and maneb ceo should resign, the pain is too much for candidates and parents
Very backward thinking. How did he come up with January. I take it the minister asked MANEB the earliest exams can be re-sat? And March was the answer.People were told March and started preparing for March. In comes Chakwera directing exams be done before end January.That is a recipe for disaster. Find the culprits within a week,really? This man is a master of rhetoric,what happens if they don’t find them within a week?Is he going to fire the minister? He can’t she’s UTM,so why these meaningless statements. Mr President you are becoming an ordinary loud mouth very fast.You have ministers… Read more »
Understand the english first.
Which English have I missunderstood?
Just goes to show you could be one on Muluzis mistake.
Mtima pansi Nyoni. Cool down a bit. The president can give directive and this is all acceptable. By the way, Examinations Boards normally have alternative exam questions which should not be difficult to constitute exam papers for different subjects. Do you remember MEC had to run elections in 150 days for elections involving over 6 million Malawians. MANEB can do it in 60 days considering everything is printed in house and locally in Malawi. Stop fear mongering my Bro.
how can we trust that the alternative ones are not out there, considering that it’s the same culprits who leaked the first that were managing them.
good move mr president, the leakage master minders once found, they should be fired, jailed and their pension income dissolved kuti wena atengerepo phuziro.