Likoma District
By Leonard Masauli, MANA
Likoma District has emerged best performer in the just released Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations, with 93.4% pass rate — beating all districts in Northern Region.
The Island district, with huge fishing activities, has defied the odds to cruise from position six in 2019 to position one in 2020.
It has the best candidate from Chiteko Primary School at Chizumulu Island, who has been selected to Robert Brake Secondary School.
Likoma DEM Benford Mwakayuni
Expressing his excitement, District Education Manager (DEM) for Likoma, Benford Mwakayuni said he is pleased with the results, going up from the previous position six, with 76% pass rate in 2019 to 93.4% in 2020 and commended teachers for working tirelessly.
Mwakayuni said his office has put in place strategies which are aimed at motivating teachers to continue yielding best results and expressed hope the district will one day be the best performer in Malawi.
“We are very happy with the results. We are looking forward to continued support from stakeholders to ensure that we together uplift education standards and performance in the district.
“We have planned to award the best performing learners and teachers,” Mwakayuni said.
Coronavirus alert
Headteacher for Chiteko Primary School, Goodfriday Makwinja said he is pleased with the results which he said have put his school on the map for having produced a learner to a national secondary school.
Out of 225,387 that passed the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations, only 84,497 learners were selected for secondary schools and the vast majority that passed — 140,440 — were left out due to inadequate places.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education released a statement on Sunday that the Tonse Government is taking the responsibility to address any inequalities present within the country’s education system.
This include the inequalities in the selection process of primary school learners into secondary school due to inadequacy of classroom spaces and by the end of 2021, close to 1,192 classrooms would have been expanded which will provide almost 60,000 new secondary school spaces.
Education PS, Chikondano Mussa
The statement issued by Principal Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa says the 1,192 classrooms to be completed by the end of 2021 is being funded by the US Government under Secondary Education Expansion for Development project and World Bank financed Equity and Quality Learning at Secondary school project.
“In addition, the Ministry is currently implementing a major US Government funded project to build 250 Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) by 2023, which are targeted to locations most in need of additional secondary school spaces,” Mussa said.
“This construction will massively increase the capacity of Community Day Secondary Schools to accept primary school students who pass the PSLCE exams.
Inadequate secondary school space
“So far, 16 schools have been completed and are in use and 30 schools are soon to be completed and handed over to the Ministry. By the end of 2021, 92 additional schools are expected to be completed.
“The total number of new spaces made available through this is 29,200. The Ministry, together with USAID, is committed to achieving this construction as quickly as possible, with minimal administrative delays.”—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
