Tunisian students brace for the bac

04/06/2008

After enduring weeks of preparation, special classes, study sessions in cafés and anxious parents, Tunisian students will sit for the bac exam on June 4th.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 04/06/08

[Mona Yahia] Tunisian students on Wednesday face an annual event eagerly anticipated and often dreaded by students and parents alike: the baccalaureate exam.

Today in Tunisia, 156,013 students face an annual event eagerly anticipated and often dreaded by students and parents alike: the baccalaureate exam.

A typical Tunisian family starts preparations weeks before the onset of the "bac", scheduled for June 4th this year. Families spare no effort to offer their children a convenient environment so they can study.

"This is a decisive time for my daughter and for the entire family," Saida Saiem told Magharebia. Saida, whose daughter, Nour, is majoring in empirical sciences, said that in the days before the exam, the whole family has been"on the alert to offer Nour the optimum ambience so she can succeed and join the department of her choice".

According to figures released by the Ministry of Education and Training, 58% of students taking the exam are girls. The number of students taking the bac in 2008 increased by nearly 9%, compared to 2007 figures.

Tunisian families are well aware that the bac is the gateway to college for their sons and daughters.

For some parents, the process and the intense competition has been overwhelming.

"I cannot hide my fear of the event. I have a son majoring in arts, which is tough and the horizons are limited. I tried as best as I could to create convenient revising conditions. I have him receive private tuition in philosophy, in hopes he will get high scores," said Raghia Gadour.

As far as how to best prepare for the exam, some students prefer to go through their courses at home or in public libraries. Others turn cafés into study rooms. Affluent families hire professors to revise courses with their children.

Karima is one of the students who chose to revise her courses in a café with her friends. Every day she heads to the café where she stays until two in the afternoon.

"I prefer to study in a café because I cannot stand closed areas. I also think that memorising info is easier in a café," she said.

Those who opt to study at home seek quietude. Yasser Ben Said told Magharebia, "I cannot see how café noises can ever help me study, especially since I am a math major. Therefore, I prefer to revise alone, in some quite place."

Public parks have also been crowded with students preparing in groups for the exam.

In the weeks leading up to the bac, Tunisian Channel 21 has been airing lessons in math, philosophy and science under the supervision of specialised professors recruited by the Ministry of Education.

For its part, the general directorate of examinations in the Ministry of Education and Training prepared a document outlining exam procedures and containing guidelines for students, observers and administrators.

One rule students need to know: it is forbidden for a candidate to carry any electronic device or document containing information inside the examination room.