BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Leader of the opposition in parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Mulanje Central, has expressed shock over reports of the cancellation of Malawi School Certificate of Education (M.S.C.E) examinations which were underway across the country.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, Nankhumwa says the development is worrisome considering that efforts by parents, students and other stakeholders have gone to waste.

“I wish to express my deepest dismay over reports that the 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations, which were under way across the country, have been cancelled following massive leakage of examination papers.

“This is a sad turn of events considering that the time and resources invested by all stakeholders, including parents, guardians, students, the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB), and the Ministry of Education in preparing for these examinations have gone to waste. This is a retrogressive episode in our collective quest to improve education standards in the country,” Nankhumwa says.

Nankhumwa has also asked government and Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) to consider reducing the four months period that they will be waiting at home considering that the students had already stayed idle for months due to COVID-19.

“I am aware that when MANEB is formulating examinations, they always have at least three sets of papers for the same subject to use in case of any eventuality. In that case, there would be no need for MANEB to wait for four months before they administer fresh MSCE examinations because they obviously have already formulated papers,” says Nankhumwa.

“I find this development a huge setback on education development in Malawi and a psychological dent on the students who worked extremely hard, amidst COVID-19 challenges, to prepare for these examinations.

I wish to state that it is apparent from the circumstances surrounding the cancellation that our students are innocent victims of a collapsing education system, riddled with many loopholes, including corruption,” he argues.

Nankhumwa has further requested government, through the Ministry of Education, to put in place comprehensive measures to seal all identified loopholes as they prepare for the fresh examinations.

He has also advised government to ensure that parents and guardians are not further financially burdened due to some incompetent and corrupt public officers.

According to Nankhumwa, the mess reqires President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera to immediately set up a Commission of Inquiry to establish what led to the shocking leakage of examination papers.

“Such a Commission of Inquiry must comprise education experts and other relevant members drawn from the public and private sectors and NOT politicians,” says Nankhumwa.

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in conjunction with Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) have cancelled this year’s MSCE examinations following revelations of massive leakage.

Minister of of Education Agness Nyalonje disclosed the decision on Wednesday in Lilongwe during a press briefing.

According to Nyalonje, the examination will be retaken from 9 March 2021, a development she says will cost government K4.5 billion.

Maneb executive director Gerald Chiunda said there was high possibility that the leakage was initiated at MANEB and there was need to properly investigate the matter.

About 152 thousand candidates were sitting for the 2020 national exams which were initially slated to be administered from June 18, 2020, but were postponed due to Covid-19 which led to closure of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities.