2024 MSCE pass rate sparks concerns over quality of education

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) has announced the results of the 2024 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.

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A total of 97,222 candidates passed out of 177,434 who sat for the exams, representing a pass rate of 54.79%.

While this is a slight increase from last year’s 54.40%, the results have sparked concerns about the overall state of Malawi’s education system.

Speaking in an interview after the release, Minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima expressed concern over the decline in the quality of student performance, despite the marginal improvement in the pass rate.

Wirima emphasized that more needs to be done to uplift the standards of education, especially in under-resourced schools such as Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS).

“There has been a slight increase in the pass rate, but when we look closely at the quality of results, we see a worrying trend. No student achieved six or seven points this year, with the highest being eight points. This shows a drop in the individual performance of students,” Wirima said.

She acknowledged that addressing the disparities in the provision of teaching and learning materials, as well as improving infrastructure, is critical to ensuring better outcomes in future exams.

In her words, MANEB Executive Director Professor Dorothy Nampota described the decline in the quality of passes as a significant issue.

While the pass rate has remained around the 50% mark in recent years, she noted that fewer students are achieving top grades compared to previous years.

“If you compare the results to three years ago, the performance has gone down. We used to have students scoring six or seven points, but this year, the highest was eight points. The number of candidates with scores between eight and ten points has also decreased. Most students are now scoring above 12 points,” Nampota explained.

Nampota acknowledged that the MSCE results are an important indicator of the state of the education system, calling for collective efforts to reverse the downward trend.

Nampota also highlighted improvements in operational aspects, such as the timely release of results and enhanced digital access but emphasized that more needs to be done to address the underlying issues affecting student performance.

In a separate interview, Education expert Benedicto Kondowe said the results reflect a deeper crisis within Malawi’s education sector.

“These results clearly show that our education sector is in crisis. A pass rate of 54.79% is not worth celebrating, especially when you consider that it has remained stagnant for nearly a decade. This should compel us to reflect on what needs to be done to improve the performance of students,” Kondowe said.

While recognizing some positive steps, such as the timely release of results and increased digital access, Kondowe stressed the need for broader reforms such as addressing structural issues within the education system, including resource allocation, teacher training, and curriculum development.