Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Monica Chang'anamuno, has commended stakeholders for ensuring that there was no leakage and cases of cheating during the administration of this year's Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations.

Chang'anamuno, who inspected Lilongwe Girls Secondary School where students were writing French subject, said the ministry is delighted that stakeholders, including the ministry, Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) and heads of schools, have yet again delivered credible examinations this year.

"The exams have gone on very well. We have had no major challenges and tnis is a great milestone for us as a country that we don't have leakages anymore," she said.

The Deputy Minister added that the government is particularly happy that over 99.9 percent of the students that registered have sat for the examinations and that majority of them took elective subjects such as French.

Chang'anamuno said elective subjects should not be considered as any less than the core subjects, stressing that they provide a variety of benefits for students and are an important part of secondary education.

She added that elective subjects introduce students to new fields and possible career choices.

"For instance, clothing and textiles can prepare students to do an advanced course in designing. These skill related subjects will also help students to create their own viable businesses in future," she narrated.

Apart from French, other elective subjects are Technical Drawing, Woodwork, Home Economics, Clothing and Textiles.