Education minister says new curriculum to blame for 13% drop in MSCE pass rate
Minister of Education, Science and Technology William Susuwele Banda has expressed concern with the 2019 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Examination results which shows the pass rate has decreased by 12.9 percent compared to last year and the lowest in the past nine years.
Minister of Education Dr. William Susuwele-Banda (R): Pass rate decrease of 13 percent worrying.-Photo by Abel Ikiloni, Mana
Susuwele Banda disclosed that only half of those who sat for the examination nationwide have passed.
He has since attributed low pass rate to the just reviewed curriculum.
Susuwele Banda explained that both teachers and learners needed to acquaint themselves with the new syllabus.
He said critical thinking and knowledge application characterizes the new syllabus.
The minister, therefore, expressed need to immediately organise in-service training sessions for educators, to familiarize them with subject content and teaching and learning materials regarding the new syllabus.
“Generally, our learners haven’t done well in the first core subjects (English, Mathematics, Biology and Geography) due to unfamiliarity of the revised syllabus and teaching and learning materials,” he said.
He added the new syllabus also requires one’s critical thinking and knowledge application when tackling any question as opposed to the previous syllabus.
On a positive note, the minister said MANEB has administered a 2019 leakage-free examination after a series of leakages in the past years. He said this year’s examination had negligible rate of cheating cases (at 0.006 per cent).
He has since pledged his ministry’s support to MANEB in its efforts to put the cheating malpractices to a complete stop.
Additionally, the Education Minister expressed sadness that 5.5 per cent of those who registered for the examination did not turn up for the examination, describing the development a big loss to government as the resources used for printing and other services could not be recovered.
He has since called upon the citizenry to encourage their wards to seriously concentrate on their studies and also sit for all examinable subjects.
A total of 98,332 candidates had registered, but only 92,867 sat for the examination.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :