Rethinking the Chadian Baccalaureate: A National Reflection on the Relevance and Reform of the Exam

1. Context: a ministerial appeal that opens a substantive debate

At the launch of the June 2026 baccalaureate examinations, the Minister of State for National Education, Bilingualism and Civic Promotion, Dr Mahamat-Ahmad Alhabo, called for a national reflection on the relevance of the baccalaureate as it exists in Chad, recalling its Napoleonic origin dating back to 1808 and raising the question of whether it should be preserved or reformed.

This appeal forms part of a broader push to rebuild the education system already underway: a Strategic Reflection Committee on the education system was established by decree in April 2026, tasked with collecting and capitalizing on the outcomes of national forums, education stakeholder conferences and sectoral evaluations in order to define directions for rebuilding Chad's school system. The same period saw the adoption of a major structural reform — full French-Arabic bilingualism, to become compulsory from the next school year.

The question raised by the Minister echoes a broader movement observed in several countries in the region, where the baccalaureate examination, inherited from the French model, is being questioned in terms of its structure, its organization, and its relevance to contemporary economic and social needs.

2. A diagnosis already documented on the reliability of the assessment

The debate on reforming the Chadian baccalaureate does not start from scratch. Academic research has already documented issues of credibility and transparency in the assessment process, notably through analysis of the double-marking reform introduced to strengthen the reliability, reputation and fairness of the grading process. This research, based on observation of several consecutive examination sessions, shows that the reliability of marking, the management of candidates and the logistical organization of the exam are recurring points of friction, independent of the broader question of the relevance of the diploma itself.

Beyond marking, the classic structural constraints of the baccalaureate in the sub-region include the rigidity of the system of tracks and streams, sometimes disconnected from the needs of the labour market and higher education, as well as the logistical difficulties of organizing a single national examination (printing and delivery of exam papers, deployment of examination boards, management of candidate numbers).

3. A reform dynamic already underway in the sub-region

Chad is not alone in this reflection. In Senegal, a technical commission set up by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation launched a baccalaureate modernization effort in 2026, aimed at adapting the exam to the requirements of economic and social development, while ensuring its consistency with national education and vocational training policies and with WAEMU community guidelines.

The diagnosis produced by this commission identifies several structural problems directly transferable to the Chadian context: the multiplicity of tracks and the lack of mobility between streams, the existence of streams that have remained inactive since their creation for lack of genuine demand, the inadequate institutional anchoring of the body responsible for the baccalaureate, and recurring difficulties in the preparation and transport of exam papers.

This regional precedent offers a useful methodological framework: rather than questioning the very principle of a national end-of-secondary-cycle examination — which remains a recognized milestone for higher education systems in the sub-region and beyond — the reflection can focus on streamlining tracks, modernizing logistical organization, and strengthening the reliability of marking and the delivery of results.

4. Cross-cutting levers: streamlining, reliability and digital modernization

The observations set out above — the ministerial appeal on the relevance of the diploma, the already-documented diagnosis on the reliability of marking, and the regional precedent centred on streamlining tracks — converge on three complementary areas of work for the Strategic Reflection Committee. The first concerns the streamlining of tracks and streams, in line with the needs of higher education and vocational training. The second concerns the reliability of assessment, whether in terms of marking, the harmonization of grading between French and Arabic under full bilingualism, or the secure management of results.

The third area concerns the modernization of the exam's logistical chain — preparation, printing, delivery of exam papers, and management of examination centres and boards — a major operational challenge for a country with vast distances and sometimes limited infrastructure. These three areas can rely on a trusted digital infrastructure: electronic certification and securing of results, platforms for managing candidates and examination boards, and tools to combat document fraud.

5. Avenues for collaboration

In connection with the work of the Strategic Reflection Committee on the education system, MEDASH SARL, a company based in N'Djamena active in economic and sociological studies as well as IT integration, identifies four concrete avenues for collaboration:

1. Mapping study of tracks and streams. Conduct a sociological and economic study of the tracks and streams of the Chadian baccalaureate, cross-referencing enrolment figures, pass rates and the needs of higher education and vocational training, to support the streamlining effort undertaken by the Committee.
2. Digital solutions for securing results. Support the establishment of an electronic certification infrastructure for the secure management and distribution of baccalaureate results, consistent with the digital sovereignty initiatives already underway in Chad.
3. Support for implementing French-Arabic bilingualism. Assist with adapting exam papers, weighting and marking procedures as part of the full bilingualism reform, drawing on MEDASH's local bilingual expertise.
4. Modernization of the exam's logistical chain. Study digital solutions for managing examination centres, boards and the delivery of exam papers, adapted to the distance and infrastructure constraints of Chadian territory.

6. Summary

The question raised by the Minister of State on the relevance and value of the Chadian baccalaureate is part of a regional dynamic of reform of this historic examination, and of a national dynamic of rebuilding the education system already underway through the Strategic Reflection Committee and the bilingualism reform. Comparable experiences, particularly in Senegal, show that a successful reform of the baccalaureate rests less on questioning its principle than on streamlining its tracks, strengthening the reliability of its organization and marking, and its alignment with other structural reforms under way.

This reflection also opens the way to technical and digital solutions that can support its implementation, particularly for the secure management of results and the fight against document fraud. Chadian actors combining expertise in sociological and economic studies with digital solutions are well placed to support this reflection.

Sources

• Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche Scientifique et de la Formation Professionnelle du Tchad, « Lancement officiel du Baccalauréat session de juin 2026 », June 2026.
• Alwihda Info, « Un comité stratégique pour réinventer l'éducation au Tchad », April 22, 2026.
• La Voix du Centre, « Tchad : le bilinguisme intégral français-arabe devient obligatoire à l'école dès la rentrée prochaine », April 24, 2026.
• Akofena, ABAKAR M. H., ESAÏE Y. W., IBRAHIM A., « La double correction comme solution à l'évaluation du baccalauréat tchadien », vol. 02, n° 08, 2023.
• AllAfrica / Le Soleil, « Sénégal : Réforme du baccalauréat - Dans le secret des délibérations de la commission technique », February 6, 2026.