Algeria's 2007 Bac shows highest passing rate since independence

06/07/2007

Results in Algeria's 2007 baccalaureate exams show the highest passing rate (53.27%) since the country’s independence 45 years ago.

By Lyes Aflou for Magharebia in Algiers – 06/07/2007

[Getty Images] this year's elevated passing rate is due to student improvement

The wait is over for Algeria's 699,695 baccalaureate (Bac) candidates, whose test results were made available as early as Thursday night (July 5th). The overall results are Algeria's best ever since independence, with a passing rate of 53.27%

Many candidates consulted lists posted in local high schools to learn their results, but students could also access scores on the National Office of Tests and Examinations (ONEC) website. ONEC also allowed mobile telephone operator Mobilis, a subsidiary of Algeria Telecom, to exclusively broadcast the results on its network.

The announcement of the results added to the already festive ambiance in many homes on July 5th, the day of Algeria's independence. While stores were closed and automobile traffic was much lighter than usual, in high school neighbourhoods there was a bustle of activity.

At Omar Racim High School in the centre of Algiers, Amel Djadi was among the pleased students. "I got it," she exclaimed, running into her mother’s arms. A sciences candidate, Djadi obtained an average of 10.80, which opens the doors to university and graduate studies. "My joy would be more complete if my friend had the same luck I had. I hope that she will catch up with me next year when she retakes it," she said.

The results show that 280,000 candidates were successful, of which 40.62% were formally schooled students. Ahmed Zoubiri, a French instructor, pointed out that the 2007 Bac also holds another record: the greatest number of successful independent candidates- 75,000 of 263,075.

One test examiner told Magharebia the redemption system, for those students very close to the 10-point average, was eliminated, resulting in tens of thousands of candidates getting eliminated. The Ministry of National Education stopped the minimum passing average at 10/20. According to Mohamed Badji, an official at the Academy of Algiers, the passing rate would have reached 65% had the redemption system been applied as in the past.

According to Badji, this year's elevated passing rate is due to student improvement, itself in keeping with reforms undertaken in the sector. Mathematics instructor Malika Nessah explained that the reason for the number of successful candidates is also due to the obligatory review courses instituted for the exam classes. These are "courses that take place outside normal school hours and that serve to reinforce the assimilation capacity of the students", she added.

The distribution of passing rates by region revealed that the wilaya of Relizane, in the west of the country, came in first with a rate of 68.72%, while the southern wilayas of Tindouf and Illizi rank at the bottom. It is also noteworthy that 405,924 of the 699,695 (58.01%) candidates were girls.