A local examination council, New Independent Examination Administration Council (NIEAC), has emphasized that it will administer the 2018 Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations starting from July 23 to August 3.

NIEAC is an independent body which insisted to proceed with the administration of JCE after its abolishment by the government in 2015.

NIEAC Director, Phyless Kachingwe, said the council has already put in place all preparations including setting the examination fees.

Kachingwe added: “Originally we planned that the examinations will take place from June to July but we felt that they should not crash with the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations which are expected to be written from June 16 so we have shifted our plans.”

She further revealed that the council has already put in place a fee of K15, 000 for a minimum of six subjects and K20, 000 for a maximum of nine subjects.

Commenting on response from candidates registering to sit for the examinations, Kachingwe described it as mixed.

“Here we are talking of a private institution administering the exams so some people are still skeptical, some have financial challenges while some are still waiting for the government nod but whatever numbers we get we will still stick to the plan,” she said.

NIEAC is the first private council to administer local examinations after Malawi Nations Examinations Board (MANEB) which was mandated by the Act of parliament to administer public examination in the country.

In 2015 President Peter Mutharika approved the recommendation by stakeholders in the Public Service Reform Program to abolish JCE examinations citing finances as a major contributing factor.