Rabat – Moroccan-Spanish student Touayba Bakkali recently received 13.84 out of 14 in Spanish baccalaureate also known as EBAU or selectividad.
The 18-year-old student from the small village of Portillo de Toledo – with 2,200 inhabitants – obtained a 9.75 out of 10 in Spanish, English, and Mathematics II, and a 9.5 out of 10 in Spanish History.
Bakkali was raised in Toledo where she and her siblings were the first Moroccans to go to the local school.
As the seventh of eight siblings, Bakkali has “always tried hard and tried to work to the fullest,” she told Informativos Telecinco, which described her performance as “spectacular.”
Supported by her six older brothers, five of whom pursued higher education, Bakkali is determined to make her family proud.
Her achievement was dedicated to her parents who moved to Spain from Tangier 35 years ago without knowing how to read or write.
“My parents have told me that they are very proud. I owe them everything. They were very excited. They trusted me and knew I could do it,” she said. “It has been very special for everyone to receive the final grade.”
Coming from humble beginnings, Bakkali aspires to study medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid.
While sharing her happiness in making her dream come true, Bakkali told Spanish media that she “started to prepare from the beginning of the course,” adding that she dedicated the three weeks before the exam to reviewing the material.
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As Bakkali celebrates her achievement, her Moroccan peers are under pressure to prepare for their upcoming exams.
The Moroccan baccalaureate exams for 2022 are set to take place between June 20 and 22, for students majoring in science, technology, applied arts, and economics. Students studying literature will have their exams on June 23 and 24.
The exam results will be announced on July 1, while the make-up session will take place between July 15 and 19 for all majors.
This year, the number of students who will take the baccalaureate exam increased by 8% compared to 2021, as reported by Morocco’s Ministry of Education.
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