Low pass rate in 2008 Moroccan baccalaureate exams

18/06/2008

Less than two-fifths of bac candidates passed the first session of exams in Morocco. The second round of testing for those with average scores between 8 and 10 is scheduled to begin July 1st.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 18/06/08

[www.men.gov.ma] Only 38.11% of Moroccan bac candidates successfully passed the first session in early June. Retakes are scheduled for July 1st-3rd.

Some 83,000 pupils (38.11%), over half of them girls, have been successful in the first session of Morocco's baccalaureate exams, the ministry of education announced on Tuesday (June 18th). The pass rate varied according to the type of baccalaureate taken. As usual, students taking arts subjects fared less well, with only 24.34% passing. Those taking science baccalaureates had more success, with a pass rate of 49.52%. Non-affiliated candidates performed worst of all, with only 2,156 out of 18,109 (12%) making the grade.

The highest average scored during this first session was 18.71/20.

The ministry of education said it expected the national pass rate to rise after 183,106 candidates who scored between 8 and 10 in the first session retake the exams on July 1st-3rd.

The national pass rate has remained virtually unchanged over the last few years, teacher Abdelkebir Moudenni told Magharebia.

"Last year, for instance, the figure was 39.1% - a very low rate which reflects the standard of our baccalaureate candidates. A lot of people are thus finding themselves excluded from higher education because of a failing education system," he said.

"[Students] manage to get by for years without reaching the level required, and then they get caught out when they come to the baccalaureate," teacher Samira Brikech agreed.

For their part, students complained that some of the exams were too difficult for the time allotted.

"I revised all year and got an average of 15 out of 20 in class, but I had big problems on the exam because the questions focused mainly on general knowledge and analysis, particularly in philosophy and English, which is something teachers don't instil into their pupils," Meriem Baki told Magharebia.

"I passed, but without a good enough grade to enable me to go to a good college or institute of higher education," she added, her eyes filled with tears.

Meriem's friend Salima also passed, but without working very hard. "I’m not a good student like Meriem, who spends all her time studying. But I still managed to pass, because the questions tested candidates' powers of analysis," she said.

Teacher Mourad Fellah said the exam system, particularly for arts subjects, has moved away from rote learning towards a focus on analysis.

"For years they made the mistake of setting exams based solely on the material students learned in class. That encouraged cheating and didn't allow baccalaureate candidates to exercise the powers of analysis which will serve them in good stead in their further education or work," he told Magharebia. "But now things have changed, even if pupils don’t like it."

The final results, including those from the second session, will be known after examiners convene on July 12th-13th to discuss the results.