PSLCE exams to start on May 17, MANEB says all is set

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) says it is set to administer the 2017 Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) Examinations scheduled to start on May 17, 2017.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Wednesday, MANEB Spokesperson, Simeon Maganga, said the Board has made great strides in preparing for the 2017 PSLCE.

Maganga said MANEB has so far briefed examination officers in examination centers (schools) on how to conduct the semi e-registration using computers.

“We have also done registering of candidates and sending out of nominal rolls to schools so that the registered candidates should check the correctness of their details before the actual writing of the examinations. This is a very important step that all registered candidates need not to miss otherwise failure to make any corrections at this stage would mean not having any more chances for correction,” said Maganga.

Moreover, he said MANEB is conducting anti-examination cheating campaigns across the country using the Board’s drama group and musician Joseph Nkasa.
He further went on to say that the Board has since produced national examinations related comedies to take care of the population it never reached in the anti-examination cheating campaign.

“We have also held annual review meetings with Education Division Managers, District Commissioners, Police Officers-In-Charge, Council Chief Executives, Teachers Union of Malawi and Independent Schools Association of Malawi among other stakeholders where we reviewed the administration of last year’s examinations in readiness for the soon to come national examinations,” said Maganga.

MANEB is also airing anti-examination cheating programs on local radios and televisions, just to mention a few.

Asked on what measures the Board has put in place to reduce cheating in this year’s PSLCE, Maganga said they have put security measures in place.

“As MANEB, we may fail to properly secure national examinations without the help of the public. This is why we continue to request them to own national examinations and take a leading role in reporting any suspected examination malpractices,” said Maganga.

“Moreover national examinations are hugely funded by the taxpayers and so they have to show interest,” added Maganga.

MANEB is further advising schools to be proactive by ensuring that all registered candidates have their names appearing on the nominal rolls which are currently in the schools.

Out of 255,087 candidates who sat for the 2016 PSLCE Examinations, 197, 222 qualified for the award of the PSLCE representing a 77.3 percent pass rate and out of the 197, 222 internal candidates who passed the examinations, 69,587 candidates were selected to various public secondary schools representing a 35.28 percent selection rate.

Meanwhile, MANEB will no longer be administering the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) Examinations starting from this year.