Ouagadougou – This year, Burkina Faso’s 2024 school exams have seen registrations of 728,264 candidates, a decrease from the previous year’s 753,606, as revealed by Jacques Sosthène Dingara, the Minister in charge of National Education.

According to Burkina Information Agency, who addressed the press this Friday in Ouagadougou, the successful management of these exams represents a significant challenge of national sovereignty. He emphasized the importance of collaboration among the educational community, parents, defense and security forces, and local defense volunteers to ensure fair and secure conditions for all participants.

The minister highlighted a slight reduction in the budget allocation to his ministry, down by 77.838 million FCFA, which constitutes a 0.33% decrease from the planned budget of 23 billion 243 million 154,000 CFA francs. Despite this, Dingara remains optimistic about adhering to the scheduled exams and competitions.

Registration specifics for different levels show varied trends: the Primary School Certificate (CEP) saw a decrease, with 360,340 candidates compared to last year’s 376,297. However, there was a rise in registrations for the Middle School Exam (BEPC) with 220,158 candidates this year. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) levels also saw an increase to 26,999 registrations. In contrast, Baccalaureate registrations dropped to 120,767 from the previous 137,461.

Dingara also announced significant updates to the management software used in organizing these exams, aiming for enhanced efficiency in this critical educational process.