The complete results for the 2026 baccalaureate are now known. While the pass rate has improved in Antananarivo, several provinces have seen a decline compared to the previous session. Numerous candidates gathered at examination centers to check the list of successful candidates.
Antananarivo concluded the publication of baccalaureate results this weekend. At examination centers where lists of successful candidates were posted, students discovered the outcome of the session. This year, just over half of them, or 51.74%, obtained their diploma in Antananarivo province, according to figures released Saturday by the University of Antananarivo.
"Compared to 2025, we see an increase of 4.25 percentage points in the pass rate," said Prof. Rivoarison Randrianasolo, president of the University of Antananarivo. In this province, the deliberation threshold was lowered to 9.75 out of 20 compared to last year.
The trend differs in several other provinces. In Toliara, the pass rate—the lowest among reported results—stands at 39.21%, down from 43.15% in 2025. In Toamasina, it fell from 55.37% to 51.57%, while in Fianarantsoa it declined from 57.98% to 51%. Mahajanga recorded the steepest drop, with a rate of 47.92%, compared to 59.77% in the previous session. In the Sava region, the pass rate stands at 39.71% this year.
Beyond the results, several teachers interviewed report observing growing difficulties among certain students in reasoning and analysis.
Digital Usage
A public high school principal and a senior mathematics teacher point particularly to time spent on social media. "This decline in academic level has multiple factors. The main problem is that they are too absorbed by social media," they argue.
"Students spend more time on their phones than on their notebooks. When given homework to do on their phones, they sometimes use it to do something else instead," observes another teacher. Some teachers also question the effects of artificial intelligence use in schoolwork. "They no longer try to think for themselves; they simply copy-paste answers provided by AI," one claims.
Opinions diverge, however, on the role of phones in learning. Some teachers believe they can be a pedagogical tool when properly supervised. Others advocate for severely limiting their use in schools, arguing that excessive reliance on digital tools can reduce students' personal research and critical thinking efforts.
For their part, some students blame teaching conditions. "Some teachers treat it like a business. They don't teach the full curriculum to push us to take private lessons with them," says Haingo, a recently graduated public high school student. Similar accounts are also reported by students from private schools.
Miangaly Ralitera