Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Education has denied the postponement of the regional baccalaureate exam, dismissing a fake press release attributed to the ministry.
After denying the fake news about the decision to put off the exam, the ministry recalled that the regional baccalaureate exam will take place on October 1-3.
It clarified, however, that the epidemiological situation in Morocco will definitely affect the initial schedule. The implication being that authorities are determined to go ahead as scheduled, provided that the country’s pandemic context shows signs of improvements by the set date.
In addition to dismissing the fake press release, the ministry also urged Moroccans to make sure about the veracity of each information from the ministry’s official sources.
On August 26, Morocco’s Minister of Education, Saaid Amzazi, declared adamantly that it was virtually impossible to cancel the regional baccalaureate exam. For the minister, cancelling the exam would discredit the baccalaureate diploma.
Amzazi made the declaration in a hearing before the Education, Culture, and Communication Committee at the House of Representatives.
Five days later, on August 31, the ministry announced that regional baccalaureate exams would take place between October 1-3.
The statement added that postponing Morocco’s regional baccalaureate exams would benefit students, giving them more time to improve their knowledge skills before the tests.
COVID-19-induced postponement
The regional baccalaureate exam normally takes place in mid-June of every year. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students this year may have to take regional tests in the middle of the 2020-2021 school year.
The Ministry first postponed the exam to September. However, as the epidemiological situation in the country did not improve by then, the ministry decided to postpone for a second time.
Regional baccalaureate exams are the tests that students in Morocco take at the end of the second year of high school. Students take the exams in secondary subjects, depending on their branch of studies.
The regional exams make up 25% of the overall mark of the Moroccan baccalaureate.
This year, 196,664 students passed the normal session of the final baccalaureate, including 102,882 who claimed their success with distinction.
The success rate for this year’s normal baccalaureate session stood at 63.08%, down from 65.55% in 2019.
