BEPC candidates at the Lycée Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo exam center in Analakely. The BEPC exams at the Lycée Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo exam center in Analakely were marked by the absence of several candidates. Multiple reasons explain this situation.
At the Lycée Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo exam center in Analakely, seventy-eight candidates were absent out of 1,265 registered for the second day of BEPC exams. This figure increased by one compared to the first day, when 77 absences were recorded.
Despite these absences, center officials remain reassuring. "These absences do not prevent the candidates concerned from continuing their exam. They can still sit for the other tests scheduled in the program. Indeed, in the BEPC, there are no eliminating grades. Admission is determined based on the total points obtained across all tests, not on the basis of a single subject," explains Holy Rakotomalala Rabarison, head of the Lycée Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo exam center.
Withdrawal
Behind these figures, however, lie very different realities. A parent recounts that her son was unable to appear at the exam center because he fell seriously ill the day before the BEPC exams began. "My son had a high fever. We took him to see a doctor, but his condition did not improve. We therefore decided not to send him to the exam center. His father and I thought he could retake the exam next year," testifies Nivo, a mother.
Other candidates, meanwhile, faced difficulties of another kind. "For my part, I had to stop school a month before the exam. My mother fell ill and I was forced to find odd jobs to help her," testifies a candidate who wished to remain anonymous.
From teachers' perspective, these situations reflect a broader reality. For Maurice Ratelolahy, physics-chemistry teacher, several factors can explain these absences. "Some candidates give up after encountering difficulties during the first test or because they believe they no longer have a chance of succeeding. Others face health problems, transportation issues, or family constraints. Yet it is always preferable to continue the tests to the end," he explains.
While some candidates have already given up, others still have the opportunity to return to the exam center. In the BEPC, absence from a test does not automatically mean failure. "Each point obtained in the remaining subjects can still contribute to achieving the average," continues the physics-chemistry teacher.
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