BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Chief Resident Magistrates for eastern region Austin Banda on Tuesday September 27, 2022 acquitted former Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) Executive Director, Gerald Chiunda, and three others who were answering charges in relation to the leaked 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Examination (MSCE) examinations.
Chiunda aquitted
The other three include Ishmael Faki, who was MANEB’s Chief Examination Development Officer, Joseph Chilombe, Chief Examination officer and Owen Kutho, who was Head of Security.
Delivering the ruling in Zomba, Banda said the State failed to prove the case against the four and found them with no case to answer.
They were arrested on February 2, 2021.
This led to the re-administrating of the examinations, a move that costed the government MK4.5 billion.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Suspended Malawi National Examinations Board Executive Director Gerald Chiunda together with Ishmael Faki, chief examination development officer, Joseph Chilombe, chief examination officer, and Owen Kutho, head of security have been charged with negligence in their management of the leaked and cancelled 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
The four were arrested on Tuesday.
According to Malawi Police Service national spokesperson, James Kadadzera, Maneb Act (1987) mandates the board to take charge of the process if localizing the development and administration of national examinations.
Kadadzera said the four, who are currently being held at Zomba Police Station, have been charged for allegedly failing to exercise due care in relation to the safety of national examination materials and that they failed to take reasonable steps for the security of national examination materials in accordance with the Maneb Act.
“Their arrestsfollows findings of police investigations into the matter,” said Kadadzera.
While confirming his arrest on Tuesday, Chiunda said was surprised with the development as the courts granted him an injunction and directed that a judicial review be conducted on the issue to do with management of 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations.
“Since they are the police, I obeyed. But it’s the same case where the court granted us an injunction and ordered a judicial review,” Chiunda said.
Chiunda, who together with six other senior officials appeared before Parliamentary Committee first week of January, accused the board of not hearing their side since his suspension in November last year.
Speaking before the committee, Chiunda said the Maneb board had not given the suspended officials to hear their side on the leaked 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations from the day they were suspended.
Chiunda told the committee that it was unfair to punish him and the other six officials when Austin Miyuna, the person who claimed to have played a role in the leakage, had not been questioned.
According to Chiunda, Miyuna who works as a security guard at Maneb, could not have worked alone bearing in mind the security procedure at the institution.
“It is frustrating because the suspect was arrested by police. He was taken through court and is on court bail. But what I was saying is that, look at the office practice, this person should have been taken through the administrative process at the office so that he should be asked further. Otherwise, the system will not have an opportunity to draw lessons for future,” said Chiunda.
He also told the committee that file footage was available to check how the security system was breached because there were 20 working CCTVs, which was contrary to the board’s chair assertions that there were no working CCTVs.
The 2020 MSCE examinations were cancelled in November following a leakage of some papers, and was re-administered from 5– 29 January under heavy security.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) has suspended executive director, Gerald Chiunda.
According to a letter signed by Maneb Board chairperson, Edith Mmela, the decision has been arrived at in order to pave way for thorough investigation into the massive leakage of this year’s Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
“On behalf of the Board, I am writing you to inform that the Board has resolved to suspend you from duty in your capacity as Executive Director with immediate effect in order to allow the Board to conduct thorough investigations into the matter.
“Upon the conclusion of its investigations, the Board shall give you an opportunity to be heard on the matter regarding your role. The Board shall communicate this in writing,” reads the letter in part.
Some sources indicate that Dr. Dorothy Nampota has taken over in acting capacity.
On 4th November, 2020, the MANEB Board in conjunction with Ministry of education announced the cancellation of the 2020 MSCE examinations due to widespread leakage of some examination papers.
Following the cancellation, President Lazarus Chakwera ordered the firing of MANEB top officials by the end of this month for its gross incompetence in the management of the examinations and must be replaced immediately with another team which would deliver credible examinations that Malawi has ever had.
The president also gave the Ministry of Education a week to identify and discipline those behind the examinations mess.
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.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in collaboration with Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) has cancelled this year’s MSCE examinations following revelations of massive leakage.
Minister of of Education Agness NyaLonje has disclosed this in Lilongwe where she was addressing Journalists.
According to NyaLonje, the examination will be retaken from 9 March 2021, a development she says will cost government K4.5 billion.
Apparently, the examinations which started on October 27, 2020, have leaked with Agriculture Paper 2, English Paper 1 and Biology Paper 1 being shared by different people on the social media.
When contacted on Monday, Minister NyaLonje, expressed ignorance of the development and asked for more time before commenting on the same.
Maneb executive director Gerald Chiunda says there is high possibility that the leakage was initiated at Maneb and there is need to properly investigate the matter.
He has since expressed disappointment over the conduct saying government invests a lot in the administration of examinations. He says those behind leakage must be taken to task.
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.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) has announced that there will be some changes in the 2019 Malawi School Certificate of Examinations (MSCE) format in light of the newly introduced secondary school curriculum.
Briefing the media on Friday in Blantyre, MANEB Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Chiunda, said the changes have also come as an immediate response to the scrapping off of Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) coupled with the introduction of new subjects in line with the new curriculum.
“The 2019 examinations will take care of both junior and senior secondary content in a balanced manner, as the success criteria demands. Concepts that end at junior secondary level will be reflected in the questions for that level and those that develop up to the senior secondary level will also be reflected as they appear in Form 4,” said Chiunda.
The CEO added: “To give prospective candidates a clear picture of the 2019 examination papers’ format, MANEB has already produced sample papers which will be circulated in schools in January 2018.”
Chiunda said MANEB would administer examinations for the 24 subjects that are on the new curriculum which include Chemistry, Creative Arts, Performing Arts, Physics and Social Studies except for Physical Education, which is not examinable.
However, Chiunda pointed out that the board will introduce handling and procurement of materials and items for all 2018 practical examinations subjects.
“MANEB will send a list of all materials, chemicals and items required for the practical examinations to all schools and will advise schools to procure enough of such requirements for all candidates,” he emphasized.
“Subject teachers will collect confidential instructions from their examinations distribution centres a day before the examination and make the necessary preparations.
“Schools that will buy examination materials the day before the examinations will be disqualified,” Chiunda warned.
MANEB launches 2016- 2021 strategic plan Minister of Education Science and Technology Bright Msaka Wednesday launched a five year strategic plan for Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB).
The Strategic Plan will run from 2016-2021 and will be a tool to help MANEB manage examinations, enhance utilization of resources and improve corporate governance.
Speaking during the launch in Zomba, the Minister said that it is government’s hope that the Strategic Plan would be a tool that MANEB would utilise to effectively re-position itself to win the confidence of Malawians which has been wearing off.
“With dedication, the strategic plan will among other things enable MANEB to improve the overall management of national examinations, enhance quality and security of the same,” Msaka pointed out.
Msaka added that MANEB was created as the bedrock of credibility of education that there has been pressure on Ministry to allow other independent examining institutions participate in the provision of quality assurance services in the education system.
“This is why government developed the Malawi Qualifications Bill (MAQUA), a legal framework for managing qualifications and regulating the quality of education services offered by assessment institutions,” Msaka viewed.
He urged MANEB to strategically re-position itself and improve on its service delivery in order to regain its lost glory among the stakeholders.
Minister reaffirmed government’s support towards the operations of MANEB to achieve its objectives.
MANEB’s Executive Director, Gerald Chiunda without elaborating said the institution is planning decentralize some of its functions to regional level to improve service delivery.
The launch was spiced by Malawi Police Band parade and activities by St Marys Girls Secondary School Students.
