Second-round bac students in Morocco hopeful

2009-07-21

The baccalaureate exams are an important event in any student's career. For those who passed the test on their second attempt, dreams of the future can begin again.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 21/07/09

[File] The Moroccan Ministry of Education announced official baccalaureate results, including re-tests, on July 17th.

Candidates fortunate enough to succeed on the Moroccan baccalaureate exams in the July 2-4 re-testing period are expressing their relief, with many showing new hope for the future.

The Ministry of Education announced on Friday (July 17th) that more than 104,000 pupils passed the bac in 2009 – 87,000 on the first attempt. Of the 121,000 candidates who repeated the exams, just 17,000 passed, bringing this year's overall pass rate up to 45%. Girls made up 51.1% of the total number of successful students.

The ministry expressed its satisfaction with the 9.31% rise in the number of successful candidates over 2008, as well as the number of those who passed with distinction, which rose to 31.43%.

The pass rate was highest in the sciences, math, and technical subjects, in which 66,852 students passed – up 5.4% over last year. Some 37,260 students passed in arts and traditional subjects – a success rate of 35%.

After finding out their results, those candidates who passed the re-test began to think about the future. Unfortunately for many, the registration deadline for most major state-run institutions has already passed.

One such student is Zakaria from Temara, who dreamt for years of going to the Higher School of Information and Communication to become a journalist. But when he failed the baccalaureate at his first attempt, his ambition was thwarted. The written exam for his desired programme was on July12th. "It was all I wanted to do," he said with disappointment. "I haven't chosen an alternative yet."

A similar case was that of Sara from Kenitra, who wanted to get into the School of Information Science in Rabat. "I only got my result on July 16th, and the deadline for applications to the School was July 15th, according to their website," she said.

Many have opted to receive vocational training from the Vocational Training and Skills Promotion Office (OFPPT), which takes in thousands of students each year. Sara is thinking of studying management to guarantee herself a job after she earns her certificate. "A lot of OFPPT graduates find jobs without great difficulty. Although I didn't realise my dream of getting into one of the grandes écoles, I have to move on and make the right choice," she concluded.

For her, like many others, university will be a last resort. Many students who pass their baccalaureate exams shun university, as they believe it does not prepare students for the demands of the job market.

This opinion is rejected by officials. Hafid Boutaleb Joutei, President of Mohammed V-Agdal University, believes people should not criticise Moroccan schools, claiming they have adopted a vocational focus to all subjects to help students integrate into the labour market.