Secondary school students in Malawi are finally sitting exams which were cancelled in November after exam papers were leaked.
Students were initially scheduled to sit the Malawi School Certificate of Education exam in June but schools were closed in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Students then started sitting the tests, which are the final exams before going to university, in October and were due to finish before the end of November.
But the education minister ordered the exams’ cancellation on 5 November following reports of papers being leaked.
Education Minister Agnes Nyalonje said at the time that the exam would be re-administered in March, but this was reversed by Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera, who ordered that the head of the body responsible for administration of examinations be sacked and that the exam be re-administered no later than January.
It is still not known who leaked the exams and how. The authorities say they are still investigating.
The effect will be felt by the students – those sitting the exams this week will have to wait a whole year before they can start university.
Source: BBC
