Malawi’s 2025 examination results show improvements in both the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination (PSLCE) and Junior Certificate of Education (JCE), yet beneath the positive numbers, questions remain about gender disparities, unequal opportunities, and the economic barriers that continue to undermine the education system.
A total of 247,958 candidates sat for the PSLCE this year, with 216,972 passing, representing an 87.50 percent pass rate. While both boys and girls registered improvements compared to 2024, the gender gap remains striking. Boys recorded a 90.61 percent pass rate, outpacing girls who managed 84.56 percent.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
In the JCE, the national pass rate rose sharply from 71.20 percent in 2024 to 77.61 percent in 2025.
But again, boys led the way, with 81.98 percent, compared to just 73.49 percent for girls, a gap that education commentators say points to deeper systemic challenges.
protected by reCAPTCHA
Victor Chikoti, an education commentator told Nthanda Times in an interview that there is a dire need to address the gender disparity in the country’s education sector.
“We cannot afford to relax at this stage, especially considering that we still have boys dominating, so to speak. We still have boys performing quite much better compared to girls students. While the pass rate has improved, probably we should come to a point where we should say there are more girls in classes than boys. And as a result, we also expect a higher rate for girls, everything being equal. But now in a situation where we have fewer boys in class and then their pass rate is much higher compared to that of girls, it should tell us something still needs to be done,” warned education analyst Victor Chikoti.
The disparities are also evident at the school and district level, despite equal distribution of resources, some districts underperformed, with several schools, both public and private, recording a 0 percent pass rate, a situation the Ministry of Education admits is “unacceptable.”
Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates continue to lag behind their peers. While 3,178 SNE candidates sat for PSLCE, only 2,385 passed, giving a 75.05 percent pass rate compared to the national average of 87.50 percent. At JCE level, 938 SNE candidates sat, with 761 passing, representing 81.13 percent, which is slightly better than last year but still reflects the barriers these learners face.
Economic hardship is another obstacle weighing heavily on secondary school students.
Education activist Ben Navitcha attributed the weaker performance at JCE to economic hardships, arguing that financial constraints continue to push students out of school.
He pointed out that while primary education is free, secondary learners are still sent home for unpaid fees.
He further said political promises of free secondary education could be a game changer if backed by resources and good governance.
“Many learners are sent back home for fees and only return to sit for exams. This affects their performance compared to PSLCE where education is free. If government introduced free secondary education, we would see better results, since many learners fail not because of ability but because of poverty,” Navitcha said.
Even where results were strong, access remains constrained. Out of the 216,972 candidates who passed PSLCE, only 103,261 have been selected to Form One, representing a transition rate of 47.59 percent. This means more than half of successful primary school leavers will not secure a place in public secondary schools.
Grace Milner, Director of Basic Education, admitted the challenge: “A lot of children do well but fail to enter secondary school because of lack of space. We are trying to ease pressure by introducing double shifts, expanding streams, and constructing new schools.”
While regions like Shire Highlands posted impressive results with a 92.56 percent pass rate, many rural districts continue to lag behind, further entrenching inequalities between urban and rural learners.
Education experts agree that Malawi has made progress in improving examination performance, but warn that unless issues of gender imbalance, poverty, and school access are addressed, the system risks leaving thousands of children behind each year.
