The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) says it will not lower the pass mark for the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations due to closure of schools for the past five months amid Covid-19 pandemic.

MANEB Chief Executive Officer Gerald Chiunda said this in Lilongwe during meeting with the Parliamentary Cluster on Education, Science and Technology.

Chiunda told YONECOFM Online that lowering the pass remark will compromise education standards in the Country.

“What I told the members is that we cannot lower the passing neither can we compromise on our grading.

“The highest qualification at secondary school level that is MSCE is pegged to the UK`s GCE O level examination so anything we do in the system we make sure that we maintain the standards, we can lower the standards just because there was COVID, no that one cannot do,” said Chiunda.

Reacting to the development, the Cluster`s Chairperson Brianax Kaise said the Cluster cannot determine on lowering the pass remark as examinations are yet to be administered.

“As of now the Committee cannot say anything on that one as you might be aware the exams have not been written and we don’t know the type of questions they will be asked and the making but when we will see the results we will come with a suggestion as a Committee,” said Kaise.

Meanwhile the Education Ministry has encouraged all schools to have additional classes on daily basis after usual classes in order to cover the entire syllabus.