By Wendy Mkandawire
Education experts say Malawi’s 2026 MSCE results show only marginal improvement, while deep challenges in quality, resources, and equity continue to hold back the country’s education system.
The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) released the 2026 results on Monday. The national pass rate rose slightly to 59.26%, up from last year. But it still falls short of the 63% peak recorded in 2018.
Education expert Crown Mbewe welcomed the early release of results ahead of the new school term, but warned that the headline figure hides bigger problems.
“While the pass rate has improved compared to last year, the majority of candidates either failed or passed with poor grades,” Mbewe said. “This shows we still need urgent strategies to raise education standards.”
Analyst Victor Chikoti pointed to glaring disparities between school categories.
Catholic and private schools again dominated the top performers, while most government secondary schools lagged behind.
Chikoti blamed the poor performance in government schools on two key factors: a lack of learning and teaching materials, and unmanageable teacher-pupil ratios.
Both analysts agreed that the Ministry of Education must enforce stricter compliance on school resources and staffing. Without action, they warned, some schools will continue to record zero percent pass rates.
