Francophone-Anglophone education systems: Nalova explains Baccalaureate pass rate harmonization ⁰

The passing grade for the francophone general baccalaureate in Cameroon was set at 10 out of 20 to ensure “equity” between the francophone and anglophone education systems, Minister of Secondary Education Nalova Lyonga told lawmakers.

“In previous years, students in the francophone subsystem were admitted to exams with an average score below 10, whereas those in the anglophone subsystem had to achieve a score of 10 or higher,” Minister Nalova Lyonga said during a December 4 appearance before the National Assembly’s Finance Committee. This decision was necessary to “harmonize the two subsystems,” she explained.

This harmonization led to a dramatic decline in the 2024 francophone baccalaureate pass rate, which fell to 37%, the lowest in 20 years.

The Ministry of Secondary Education did not provide an official explanation for the poor results, which were released in July. However, teachers interviewed said that unlike in previous years, there were no post-correction deliberations in 2024. These deliberations had previously allowed candidates with scores below 10 to be “rescued” by examination boards. As a result, only candidates who achieved a final average of 10 or higher after the exam grading were declared successful.

This policy is expected to continue. In September, during the start of the school year, Minister Lyonga announced in Bafoussam that there would be no further “rescues” for candidates scoring below an average of 10.

Source: Business in Cameroon