OUAGADOUGOU, The Governor of the Center region, Abdoulaye Bassinga, on Tuesday invited candidates from his zone to remain relaxed and concentrate on their papers during the Baccalaureate exams.

“We have come to convey to you the government’s encouragement. Be relaxed, concentrate on your papers, stay calm because you will be evaluated on the basis of what you have learned during the nine months,” declared Governor Abdoulaye Bassinga to candidates from the Venegré municipal high school in Ouagadougou.

According to Burkina Information Agency, 40,642 candidates, including 22,930 girls, divided into 158 juries, are taking part in the Baccalaureate exam session 2024 in the Center region. The candidates reported feeling calm because they have prepared accordingly to face the tests. However, they admitted, “There is stress but it is natural, we must be able to evacuate it from the first minute.”

The regional director in charge of secondary education, Henri Prospère Paré, reassured that the observations of field stakeholders will be taken into account to improve the grade processing software developed by the ministry. Nationally this year, 120,767 candidates, including 57,745 boys and 63,022 girls, are seeking baccalaureate diplomas compared to 137,461 in 2023.