Malawi abolishes JCE exams, Std 8 certificates: Mutharika approves reforms

September 21, 2015 Mphatso Nkhoma -Nyasa Times 161 Comments

Malawi is abolishing the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examination and government has also stopped printing of Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE ) go save cost as part of the ongoing Public Service Reform Program.

Minister of Education Science and Technology Dr. Emmanuel Fabiano and Mrs Lonely Magreta sharing notes as education reforms gets approved by President - Pic by Stanley Makuti
Minister of Education Science and Technology Dr. Emmanuel Fabiano and Mrs Lonely Magreta , the PS of education, sharing notes as education reforms gets approved by President – Pic by Stanley Makuti

Public Service Reforms Management Unit spokesperson,Constance Kilimo, confirmed that President Peter Muntharika has approved the reforms, saying the organisations were communicated to “ start implementation from October 1 (2015). “

Pupils and guardians who want to have documentation on the PSLCE will have to request the Malawi National Examination Board  (MANEB for a transcript, according to Kalimo.

Kalimo said Maneb will be saving K20  million in printing costs of PSLCE and another K2 billion on the decision concerning JCE.

Maneb proposed to abolish JCE as they believe that the paper has lost value and is not in demand by employers.

Commenting in the Daily Times newspaper, education expert Dr Steve Sharra said the rationale behind the decisions seems to be more about economic necessity than changes in the society.

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161 replies on “Malawi abolishes JCE exams, Std 8 certificates: Mutharika approves reforms”

  4. I feel the abolshment of JCE and std 8 Exams by Government is not necessarilly to improve quality education but the economic status. These acted as entry points to high levels of education and certificates were enabling pupils to work extra harder so is not good idea.

  6. Let’s look at the Headline again.My understanding is that PSLCE exams wil b there,but MANEB wil no longer take an extra step to print the Certificates,meaning,means of selection to Sec xul wil not change or be affected. Again,if they say,JCE exams abolished,it may sound like MANEB wil continue printing Certificates based on results from the school/mock exams which they always write.This means,MANEB has stopped forming exams but wil rely on teachers xul/mock exams results data in their respective schools to just print Certificates.

  7. Proffessor and leadership is too difficulte mukuwonatu amalawi fundo iliyonse yowola (yombwambwana) timangomva if kuti anali mphunzitsi wa obama kuyesela upulofesa mpaka achitanzo misala Pitala

  8. This is quite an absurd. there is no way education can improve through your nonsense reform. You professors of nowadays why are you taking us for granted. Are you sure you can’t focuse that your plans are full of nonse. Where on earth a child goes to up to that longer time without writing government exams? If you are growing old that your senses are becomimg obsolete, you better rettire and leave fresh blood to revamp education in malawi. mwangokumanapo nonse oduka mitu iiiiiiiya musatiphyetse ntima apa.

  11. This will not solve our Education problems but rather increase umbuli kwa ana cz the period for one to write exam is long.
    At first i thought reforms will through the process of consultation but hey zero.

  16. Better come up with an online exam registration system and electronics certificates as pilot projects. This could better solve the problem ,Children have to be motivated towards school , they work very hard for these exams . Debate is better than coming to conclusion .This pilot project could be developed by locals no need for abroad outsourcing .

  22. He deserve impeachment peter wafikapo pauchindere tatopa naye he is going to oneparty rule yasala misonkho ya amphawi ndi card ya mwana osabadwa

  23. Zopusa Zimenez Ngat Dzkukukanikan Patsan Anzanu Mavuto Ndiosayamba Mdzko Muno Mukuononga Ndalama Zambri Kupita Kunja Zkukanika Kukoza Zamaphunzro Mukudzwa Kt Ana Anu Akaphunzra Kunja Dzakadzidzi

  26. this is what happens when a country’s leader do not know the problems of his country ,people and has stayed abroad for a long time.adaptation of foreign things makes people to loose their value.

  28. Kuti mukhale presdent munayamba std8 and jce ndinu opusa mufuna kuthesa msphunziro abwino amene azanu anauamna ngati mwalephera mungochoka pampando azanu akhalrpo.

  29. Sinaonepo Anthu Opusa Mmalawi Muno Ngat Amenewa Nde Pali Maphunziropa Munthu Osalemba Ndi Jce Yomwe, Ashem On U!

  30. That is very worst decision interms of education stds in Malawi made by DPP Gvt. Why do we vote again for these selfish people to rule this country? JCE is essential for us mainly poorer villagers!! What is the minister of education doing? Is this reformation or ….

  31. bwampini trying to bwampiniolisely bwampiniolise the people of malawi leading to bwampiniology of the whole system

  33. nduna zinazi zidangochenjera pakamwa ndi chingerezi koma zili ndi jce yomweyo. Basi dziko latha,bola kupita ku america anthu 115 pamene dziko tikufa ndi njala.

  34. enconomy ndi mapunziro? this is senseless mwana sangayambe form one mpaka four osalemba chilichonse enconomy ya chani? mukutenga anthu kunja 115 onsewo ma lawansi, accomodation, mayendedwe ndi chilungamo? kumakapweteka anthu osalakwa inu muzinjoya zaziiiiiii!

  35. Shame to the DPP government who doesnt listen to others.
    JC itha bwanji?
    did you know what JC means, you need to go back to school foolish people.
    Dzikodi la Malawi liri Mmanja mwa AGALU.

  37. redeemed

    I guess its starts with yourself try noting the difference between a Blog and a Post.Gosh “Talk about the pot calling the kettle black”

  38. Vuto munasakha munthu oti uphawi sakuuziwa lero Ndi zimenezi mu kuleka kukagura Mankhwala mzipatala mukukaononga ndalama ndizinthu zaziii ndalama zamnsokho mukutidyeranso mulungu alanga yekha

  39. Nyasatimes maybe you have missed some information! How will government determine who to select to various secondary schools, Community schools and National secondary schools if they are abolishing Primary school exams? what criteria will the use? Find this information pliz.

  40. foolish people at its best.. pple who can not see beyond their nose are leading us…

    Pitala & your DPP what you need is to add/restore value to these Certificates by restoring the standard of education; not to abolish them… If this is trend continues then the country will be ruined.

    Dzuka Malawi… Dzuka………… ziko liri mmanja mwa agalu. Ana awo akuphunzira ndi kulemba mayeso akunja…… Malawi ali pa moto.

    People voted for you to face and solve the problems & not to run away from them.

    Ndikuti Malawi Dzuka……………………………………………………………………….

  42. This is a sad development as we will now have dull students going all the way to MSCE exams . The purpose of PSLC and JCE is not necessarily for the students to get employment but to select or determine those that are suitable to proceed to higher classes. I wonder why government is obsessed with trivial issues instead of concentrating on improving the quality of education . Look at the numbers of failures in the JCE and PSLC . It’s unbelievable and sickening . Lack of demand for PSLC and JCE and if i may include MSCE and of course some degree holders by employers is not because the certificates are not valid or have no value, it is because the economy in Malawi is in reverse gear. Just imagine in Malawi degree holders can only manage to get employed as prison guards. There is urgent need for government to create an environment that is conducive to investment both local and foreign so that when our youth leave school they can get employed

  43. Chimenechi ndi chipongwe. Pali ma bwasala or mabwana ambiri amene ali ndi ma JC. ndiye muyambitsa ufiti azidalira nyanga

  44. Can’t the problem be solved by allowing the candidates and guardians to pay reasonable examination fees which could be used to administer and print the PSLC and JCE Academicc qualifications. Employers still recognise these academic qualifications according to the category of jobs falling vacant. For example, a sanitaryman’s post a PSLC would be more appropriate because they are looking for some one who can write and speak English and for a junior clerk post, the JCE is marketable.

    Parents would be requested to pay some additional costs rather than for the transcripts and MANEB will be busy attending to applications for transcripts from a lot of pupils and guardians which will be time consuming.

  45. This reform is the same as treating a sympton and not the disease. Sensible reforms in this area should have at least focused on making the JCE stronger and more relevant to employers’ needs instead of scrapping it off altogether. The rationale for the decision is weak.

  46. May there be consideration that the transcript be automatically produced to potray the results of the candidates since if parents send their children to school they expect results. The system would not be good for an orphan.

  47. Iwe number 81 chikwende ifeso chingelezi timavako ndiye usatinamizepo apa. The Healine of the story in question is clear to say that GOVERNMENT HAS ABOLISHED JCE. Then you have to stop and think what does the word ABOLISH mean. ine ndifuna ndikuwuze kuti ngati mwina sumava chingelezi mau akuti abolish means 1 to do away with, 2, to get rid of, ndipo mau otsutsana ake ndi awa. Abolish -Establish. transcript is set for THE PSLC. SO next time dont come on this page and insult the intelligence of the learned.

  49. abolish means completely not writing jce level for they r saying it has lost value, 8 wil b writing but no certificates, all in the name of saving. saving saving saving! ZOVUTATU!

  51. The best would have been to allow them write JCE but no printed certificates, only transcripts when requested the cost of which will be paid by the one requesting for the print. JCE is one way of measuring the progress on national level and it serves its purpose. Most students are egocentric by their age to start working very hard for MSCE at form one or two. By the time they will be discovering they don’t have a good back ground it would be too late. If the aim is to produce useful citizens we need to get a handle on their academic progress at small time intervals possible.

  53. Can you stop saying that even MSCE is valueless. Only an individual who has not gone further than secondary school would say something like that. MSCE is the prerequisite for you to be able to enrol into university of malawi as well as other colleges for diploma and degree programs. JCE has been removed but students will most likely still undergo some form of testing to track their performances. Stop being illogical people

  54. Maneb is liable to produce a certificate of which it received the entry fees and exams fees for the same if it cost cutting and then they are making making revenue without the capital.

    malawi this is crookedness

  55. This is now topical stealing.If the employers do not consider this JCE but remember the accontancy board and colleges outside malawi they accept JCE as an entry certificate.

    this shall mean malawi will remain uneducated.
    malawi shall not purse ABA courses.

    But malawi why have you done this without interviews to the real citizen.
    Parties UDF wake up and back up on this.Parliament where are you?????????????????????????????

  56. They r trying to run away from asolution of aproblem, how thy can make j C & Pslc to have vallue in the country. At v end all certificate will be vallueless.

  57. Ngati mwawona kuti zilibe value mukanasiya ndikulembatsa komwe chifukwa printing itself plus invigilation is also costly whats then ngati mukulembetsabe mayeso oti certificate yake ilibe value?

  58. DPP tangothrsani mayeso one..kaya titi sukulu Zonse tibwelere chikale…Malawi is living in 1840s in Amarica..

  59. iwenso chinkwende #81 zakuvuta kumva pang’ono. they have abolished the jce exam (athetsa mayeso a jce) AND have decided to stop printing pslc certificates (sazipulinta ma certificate a pslc koma mayeso azilembedwa)

    now my question is, as the jce has ‘lost value’, then what use is the pslc? those poor folks that can’t afford to sit form 4 exams will only have pslc as their certificate?

    why oh why did kamuzu have to die? he must be turning in his grave to see what we have done to his beautiful vision of an educated nation. dziko la mkaka ndi uchi lija tinapeleka kwa ma gamba

  60. Abolishing JCE is ideal, the paper is nothing, the society has changed, we should go together with the world’s speed. Now introduce to our secondery schools forms 5 and 6. Let our children write the form 6 examination (A LEVEL) because the MSCE is equivalent to O level. This will help the preparation of our kids to go to colleges.

  61. Chikwende, iweyo ndamene kumva kuku kuvuta. Pitara has abolished jce exams kuthantauza kuti mayeso ajce saazilembedwa while STD 8 azilembedwa but no printing of certificates. Ndipo its very clear

  62. mr president

    start with early child education in all government primary schools in malawi so that the masses must benefit your reforms.

    that means the money your trying to save will be used in early child education in malawi and donors will top up

  63. start with early child education in all government primary schools in malawi so that the masses must benefit your reforms.

    that means the money your trying to save will be used in early child education in malawi and donors will top up

  64. start with early child education in all government primary schools in malawi so that the masses must benefit your reforms

  65. Just tell doctors to be killing sick people kuti mwina dzikoli lichepeko, it seems dziko lakukulirani. You are regreting for what you promised Malawians. Bola lokakamira limatero. Kenaka tidzigulitsa maliro kunja.

  67. YOU BECOME MORE ECONOMICAL WHEN U HAVE LITTLE IN YOUR PURSE.( When resources become limited in the face of so many wants) MANEB AND GOVT AT LARGE CASE.

  68. 1. It is clear that the reporter is partly responsible for many of the comments, because the
    reporting is confusing and not completely accurate. He/she should go back and file another report baasi. A more concise report. The editors should insist on this.
    Why should we have to (often) phone the government offices, to get the exact story? Asa.
    2. As I understand it now, from government sources: the government is NOT abolishing the
    exams as such. Rather the automatic issuance of the certificates. Thus the pecuniary benefit – the savings. There will still be exams alright, for obvious reasons. But anyone who wants a printed copy of the certificate, will have to ask for it; and should have to pay for it too. Makes sense to me.
    3. How many of you, in Human Resources, would hire a PSC or JC holder for a serious clerical job that tracks serious money (in the public or private sector) these days?
    4. Twenty years or less, from now, this recommendation by the Reform committee will be seen as VERY smart. (We knew that this group of men and women siamasewela (they would take their job seriously, and will take no prisoners).
    5. Most of us threw away our PSCs and JCs. Because they are meaningless, in today’s economy. Not worth even the paper they are printed on.
    The committee and the government are indeed thinking ahead of the curve. Finally, things are unraveling in a sensible way.

  69. Khani ina ndi yamaliro. Banja la muthu amene wafedwa boma lithandize with limitations. Because when a tax payer in the village Sama user tax payers money. ZAULELE ZINATHA. Amalume , bambo, adzukulu, akamwalila Koma ma office kutseka, magalimoto a boma Koma londo,londo. Ogula mafuta TAX payers. PM please keep cutting for the benefit of all.

  70. SO WHY THE FEES HIKE ??

    SO WHY THE FEES HIKE ??

    So WHY THE FEES HIKES ??

    ACHAKWERA NDI ANZANU PULUMUSANI DZIKO KU MBAVAZI

  71. They can even cancel MSCE.Degrees and Phd’s are being churned out at an alarming rate these days from Magalaja universities.If you throw a stone in the market these days in Malawi,chances are high of hitting a Professor selling some vegetables with the high rate of unemployment.

  72. I was fed up reading comments after reaching no. 40 as most seemed to misunderstand. Read comment no. 26 from nyakyusa which, unlike others, had understood! It is only the printing of the certificates that is to stop. The PSLCE and JCE exams will continue unles this story is very badly written.

    1. Malawi is abolishing the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examination and government has also stopped printing of Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE )

      Do you have a PSLCE if you do its as clear as daylight

  74. Nyasatimes, plz get the small but relevant details straight. Your previous article indicated that Mrs Lonely Magreta is the Secretary for ed. and nw you call her a PS. Mind you these r two most senior positions in any ministry and cn nt b used interchangeably. From my knowledge, there r two PSs n the ministry of edu. n only one Secretary for edu. by the name of Mrs Lonely Magreta. She is more senior than the PSs, so plz dnt demote her…. Thank You

  75. Ngati kulibe nzeru dziko lonse lapansi ndi pulofesa wa fekiyu.
    Eti watenga anthu 115 kupita nawo ku Amerika chonsecho mmawa uja amatiuza kuti kuli njala yoopsya.
    Nyapapi wenini weni uyu/Bikiloni/Bwampini

  76. Anthu inu kumva kumakuvutani chomwe apanga abolish is the printing of certificates at JCE and Primary level otherwise mayeso azilembedwa as usual only that a transcript will be produced at the request of the parents

    1. Bambo Chinkwende, za Chingerezi muzisiira omwe anapita patali ndi maphunziro. Anena bwinobwino sentence yoyambayo kuti JCE achita “abolish” kuthandauza kuti athetsa, kulibenso, pomwe Std 8 ana azilembabe koma ma certificate okha samapanga print.

      Please fellow Malawians let us double check our facts; doing things in a hurry without being sure of what we are doing is killing our country. And you 4 other people who liked Chinkwende’s comment couldn’t you check the facts in the article for yourselves? Ayi ndithu chitani manyazi…

  77. Change is always painfull. This is great. We are spending too much of our tax. GOOD JOB MR PRESIDENT AND THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. KEEP ON CUTTING. PLEASE CUT THE BENEFITS FOR SENIOR GOV OFFICIAL’S CHILDREN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS. SOME ARE OVERSEAS GOV PAYS. CUT IT OUT. MCHALO, SUGAR IS SO EXPENSIVE yet the company pays school fees to private school for employees. What is that. Sugar is supposed to be cheap. It is home grown.Mr president I salute you.

  82. There wont be any savings here, coz if all the pupils are to write MSCE, imagine how much will be spent in the production of exam papers as well as its administration. This is a non starter unless the assumption is that others will drop out before they reach the examinable class which in this scenario is Form 4!!!

  83. This is stupid idea u cant charge our sirabas like that,takhala tikuvutika kumbali ya exam fee then mukubweranso ndi mtengo wina kma athu kumuzi mukuwa ganizila kapena mukufuna kutukula okuba mdziko mwathu muno think twice …:-(

  84. Mbuzi iyi ithetsa zonse basi!!!! Indebank, MSB, pano PSLCE, JCE. Visionless leader in APM. “In APM we don’t trust”!!!!!!!!!

  85. So how will students be selected to start secondary school level from the primary schools?? Eeish koma boma ili ayi ndithu

  86. Muchotsenso vi ma subject vimbimbiri pa MSCE ngati zili zimenezo, mwana adzichita master one or two subjects only…

  88. That’s senseless decision at her level. Hoe does a pupil or student evaluate or ready oneself without siting for any pre examination test???
    Shame on you, think twice be4 it is too. JCE & PLSCE were ment to prepare a pupil for a higher class than just looking @ the financial constraints

  91. This is Mw! What is 20 000 million or billion.please improve on such things by either writting all digits or just words.the represantation is jupteric

  92. The free primary education has failed. Let us all agree to be paying fees for pupils in primary schools. For jce why cant they just increase exam fees? Who did they consult to come up with those decisions. How can the whole president sign for this. I think the president signed without reading the content otherwise i start to beleive that some profs are chinese.

  94. How govt can save money in a sensible way:
    1. Retain JCE (don’t abolish it) and make it stronger, improve its quality by making sure that students who reach JCE level are well prepared to get a good JCE. Start weeding poorly performing students in the first term of their form 1, and continue with weeding all the way up to JCE. That will translate into few strong students who are ready to get a strong JCE which employers will admire. It will also mean that govt will save lots of money by not retaining in the education system students who are weak. It costs govt about 3,000,000 MK to keep one student in each of the forms 1,2,3 and 4. Continue weeding up to form 4 to get a high quality MSCE and save money. The parents of weeded students will have to fend for their wards in alternative schools. Use the money so saved to motivate teachers by paying them better, buying library books and lab equipment.
    2. Stop the unnecessary globe trotting by president.
    3. Trim the motorcade on president’s and his wife’s national errands, which must also be trimmed.
    4. Revert to donors and normalize our relations with the West who are willing to subsidize our economy.
    But this DPP govt is a foolish. It does not think. It does not care about Malawians. It is selfish – just wanting all good things for themselves and their fellow Lomwes. You cannot abolish JCE and expect MSCE to retain its good quality. In the end even MSCE will be abolished, and then degrees will be abolished, schools will be closed and Ministry of Education will be privatized – all in the interest of saving money. DPP is BULSHIT. AGALU.

  96. I strongly disagree with the So called reform in this area of examination ,how are you going to assess pupils to be selected into secondary schools? This means only students from well to do families will dominate in government Secondary Schools.

  100. No logic! What is the Public Reform there for? I thot they are there to bring the value of the JC? I wonder if Malawi have people with brains, should we keep mourning for the dead, Hastings K. Banda? What are your qualifications for? Just to abolish things! JC is the yardstick for MSCE

  103. One thing I would like to know is how will selection of standard eight pupils to start form one be like if the pupils will not take their PSLCE? Government should be clear on that if we are to take it seriously.

  104. The issue is that Government is putting the cart before the horse!!! You want to have a good work force and improve your human capital this is not the answer Peter will be hurt by these silly recommendations.

  105. This is what I was for!!! Good move… When I was doing my first degree at MZUNI, we discussed ‘WASTAGE IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM’… One of it was JCE…
    However timing is the problem. Last we mwayamba new curriculum momwe mwayikamo mayeso a JC. Lero mukuti ayi asakhaleko, koma did u really plan for ths curriculum? ??? Mitu gwa!! Besides, kodi
    anawa mwasiya mmanja mwa aphunzitsi to give them xul based assessments?? Mwawakonda ana atsikanawa?

  107. Government is missing the point. Decision is purely based on short term gains over long term gains. Put in place measures aimed at improving the quality of the education system as a whole. Stopping producing certificates is not a solution. If your argument of employers not needing J.C is valid then very soon you will also stop producing M.S.C.E because the quality of the present M.S.C.E holders is equally unimpressive. This government seems to have no clue on where they want to move Malawi in the next decade. We will remain a mockery to fellow Africans.

  109. You mean students will have to write exams with question from year one to year four at once. Thus improving falure rate @ its best. Unlike other governments like UDF and PP this one is always complaining more about inadquate resources and saving money but where the saved money go not known. Eeeee.

  110. This doesn’t make sense. This is part of making the country to produce poor students.
    You have to work hard improving PSLC and JC so that bosses can come to point of demanding them.
    Are you sure that learners will be spending 11 year @ school but no any paper.
    Kkkk come on MR president!!!this is not good according to me.
    You want to save money so that you should stealing them. You want the Windows of cash gate to succeed?

  111. Its not value to you but it produce confident to the children when she /he got it,therefore ask the public to put their views.

  114. This is great….moving forward with time.
    What is PSLC and JC these days? Masiku ano ikukanika MSCE yomwe.
    Let the youth of today aim not less than university education. However, continuous evaluations must be enforced.

  116. IN UK THEY DON’T HAVE JCE BUT GSCE – EQUIVALENT TO MSCE – AND THE SYSTEM IS WORKING NICELY.

    I CONCUR TO WHAT HAS BEEN COMMENTED BEFORE THAT JCE IS NOT RELEVANT AS IT USED TO BE.JUST WALK IN THE VILLAGES AND ASK WHO HAS A JCE CERTIFICATE,FOR SURE YOU WILL GET HALF OF THEM ARE KEEPING IT IN THEIR SACKS. BEFORE YOU COULD ENROL INTO A COURSE LIKE T3 TEACHING WITH IT.LET OUR CHILDREN TAKE THIS CHALLENGE OF GETTING STRAIGHT INTO MSCE TOP GEAR.

    JCE WAS INTRODUCED BY THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT SO AS TO GET LOWER CLASS CLERICAL STAFF. WE ARE INDEPENDENT NOW SO LET’S ABOLISH JCE AND PSLCE ONCE AND FOR ALL

  117. Quality abolished quantity introduced. I s govt thinking? MCE will be full of junk students. Teachers in primary will relax. PSLC and JC meant preparedness. Diplomas should be abolished as well to save more money. A good govt spends more pon education. Where will the savings
    go?? Don’t kill our kids heee!!

  119. It’s the standards of education that have gone down. A jc student can barely speak or write English. This is what has made the jc certificate lose value. We need to go back to learning all subjects in English and have chickens and other languages as subjects. That’s where our educational system lost the plot. After all chickens is our mother tongue and we learn enough of it at home whereas English is the acceptable language of communication worldwide. We are short changing ourselves.

  120. To say honestly here, this will simply demote education standards in our country. The decision which the government has made is totally not good at all. Where is Malawi heading to?

  122. This is killing education in Malawi. Oh education is dead. Cashgate in action. Where will fees go? In pocket?

  123. the Best thing here, you the so called ruling party, is to abolish Education and you will save more millions which can then be spent on ndata simple!.

    There is no where in the worl dcan someone walk away from grade 8 to writing form 4 examination without boma to track the quality of basic education. Anyway you havent told us what is your plan. Please abolish Education and Agriculture as the best reform tact.

  125. koma masamu ntolankhani iwe anakuphunzitsa ndindani? that’s why makape inu mukalephela mayeso aform folo mumangothamangila kuMIJ…nanga abale ndi statistics yanji yoti 20 000 million? koma abale!!!!!!

  127. Education has been thrown to the dogs, first it was a free primary school, secondly its school without EXAMS, if JC lost value Mr empty Professor, and yr useless deputy, why have you NOT instilled skills and knowledge yourself, to change education standard in Malawi and become the first President after the past Three, to reform education instead of worsening? ??????? If Bakili destroyed education, why have you NOW gathered the remains and burry them forever?
    Malawi NEEDS a leader who can come in and RESTORE the lost glory please, JC was at least a paper for someone who cannot go as far as form Four, as a parent I hurt you so much worse than any other leader who ever ruled Malawi, however if you restored education standard, by bringing back all that was lost, making our learners to be as they were before, making our teachers to be more professional than before, classrooms, and our universities function as they deserve, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A PARENT PROUDILY TELLING THE WHOLE WORLD ABOUT HOW GREAT IS MY PRESIDENT AND HIS VICE. Am sorry, Mr Or am sorry Dr Chilima , I thought Reform means to make something which was not looking better Now to look good? But your reform means to he lid of some simply because you know nothing about them, this is not airel, this is MALAWI as a nation 16million Malawians, no wonder, young minds are not worth of riding a bicycle in a hgh way, am sorry I am left with one option from today until you stand before Almighty God, praying that you be judged sevirely, mercelesslessy, for you kindergattenship decesions you are taking. May the LORD not allow you to rule again this country whose citizens rely on good thing and loving thing leaders for them to progress, today Malawians can look back and Remember Dr BANDA,,,,, may His soul rest in peace I rest my are.

  131. Point of Correction: Please understand the news article very well. They are not saying that they have stopped administering Std 8 and JCE exams but stopping the processes of printing Certificates. This is because, govt has seen that even if one is given a Std 8 and form 2 certificate, they are not used at all. Therefore, government is making valueless expenditures and money to be used for other valuable work….thats it!!!!!

  133. I will not be surprised if one day in the name of reforms the Government simply wakes up and say shoot dead the people in the street so that the population can reduce and then we save costs chifukwa tachulukana. Shame!!

  134. My malawi, my Nation, why forgetting purpose of education, why address the flower of the problem, saying PSLC and JCE has lost its value does it mean problem are students, Teachers, examiner or markers, why these papers loss value. Government is for people and we are all making government, I would be very happy if my Lovely malawi look at HOW BEST CAN WE DO TO RE-VALUE PSLC AND JCE, if not the soon we are to hear that MSCE lost values.

    My mother malawi, Train people to have knowledge plz.

  135. Good riddance. This is good it does not make sense to be paying for an exam that is of no economic value as a reference document. Do more economic reviews of many things and get away with chicken thinking. so full throttle now with public appointments we need useless ministers the likes of nakhumwa out of govt.

  137. I support the government move. Both PSLC and JC are useless. I know in the UK they have O-levels and A-Levels. I also know that our colleagues in Zimbabwe follow more or a less a similar pattern to that of the UK.

  138. I think we are heading to a wrong direction. Its not on that students should only write National exams at MSCE level. JCE checks students progress at Secondary level. If we are to adopt this there is need for providing good altenatives to ensure that students are well checked. Another thing to note is that the abolishment has been instant. Infact it has come just 2 weeks after we started implementing a new curriculum. It even applies to this years prospective candidates.

  140. Check with UK and other countries. Are they still having JC? And are you aware that Poly scraped Diploma in its engineering, accounting and the rest of degree courses such that when you enter a course the next exam shall be a degree? If Poly can do away with a diploma, what is a JC for? Brave Prof APM.

  141. Nde zizikhala zopepelatu. Coz mwana azidziwa bwanji kuti he is fit for senior level? This will encourage ulesi amongst students plus teachers. Sizibebaso ata…… Nde ati cholinga chake nkulimbana ndi mavuto a economywa? Boma il nzeru lilibe sure. Ngati uproffesor umapangitsa umbuli chonchi, nde kuti siwabwino dhala

  142. It’s not reform but Munthalika’s government doesn’t have money to print the certificate. The education will fall apart like South Africa. Mr president you are making Malawi education system to be worse ever. These so called reform always causes disaster in the country if done without proper research e.g. Bakili sold all government companies which made the country with nothing. JB sold the jet. The more you try to do economy the more you are destroying. Your brother Bingu was really greater thinker own his own, he has never change d things any how,he even replaced all the property which was in the name of Kamuzu and he gains the heart of Malawians. You now in position to lose Malawians heart.

  143. Welcome to factories of lazy teachers and pupils not forgeting thousands of pregnancies, indiscipline cases and maximum sachet drinking! I forgot chamba smoking.
    I can also see that there will be more failures than we are producing them now.
    Nkhani ndi yoti economy yakuvutani a DPP.

  144. Was the decision driven by economic situation Malawi is currently facing or substance? I know Cambridge and other examinations Boards have checkpoint exams to fitness of students potential in higher education, In absence of JCE what will be the checkpoint for Malawi students proceeding to senior secondary school?

  145. I buy the decision made by the government for abolishing both std 8 and JCE as both are not necessary at job market places in our country.Another issue that is to abolished is political rallies by ruling party.Its not necessary for the whole ruling party to be going around in the country begging for support yet they are already in governance.Such movements squander a lot of taxpayers funds for nothing instead of development so I beg the authorities to look into that as possible.

  147. This is the most stupid reform Malawi has undertaken, is this to save money for the president and his cabinet members to use? This is sad for Malawi, and as usual no-one can significantly oppose this

  149. Zoona zimenezo? You want to tell us that after entering Sec Sch the next exam will be MSCE? Hence there will be no official exam to check if the pupils are on track with their education or not? So the issue here is saving the money due to loss of donor confidence? Malawians how do you receive this development?

    1. I have also been disappointed that DPP’s reforms seem focused solely on “saving” money, rather than on improving the efficiency of the civil service. If the focus was on improving efficiency, these so-called savings would pale in comparison to the additional revenue generated. It does not make sense that a secondary school pupil should not face a national exam until the year of leaving school.

      It is not too late – this government can still go after the many bawo players, tea drinkers and newspaper readers who pretend to work as civil servants and enforce discipline. This country needs a professional civil service to catch up with our neighbours who seem to be fast leaving us behind…

  150. Why has it lost value? That’s what the reforms should be addressing so that it has it’s value back. The thing is poor education standards is a cause. A JC student knows barely nothing can’t even go on a desk to work like before, can’t communicate in English we need to reform our syllabus our standards of teaching

  151. Computerise the processes of the examination board (Maneb)
    And get rid of the reduntant posts at the center and cut costs instead of creating processes which effectively ensure that dead wood waste educational resources and space until they rich MSCE. The purpose of the PSLC and JCE was to ensure quality and quantity. I guess Gardage in Gardage out does actually start from the State House (LOL)

  152. Now what is it that the government has put in place so that as a student gets to secondary school can assess that he is well prepared for the MSCE? should we assume that there will be no any kind of exam or contribution from government side from form 1 up to form 3. if this is the case then we are in a boiling pot because as a student can not just go for MSCe without a pre test …..despite saving money lets have the strategies that the government has put in place for the good of our children

  153. I will move the courts for judicial review of administrative action. Anyone wants to join me or offer free legal services?

  154. Incredible! This is disastrous! Such significant reforms should not be taken at executive level, with duly consulting the general public, at the very least, through their MPs and Councillors.

  155. 20 000 billion?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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