Strikes, holidays and the 2010 World Cup have left Algerian students with little time to prepare for this year's exams.
By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 05/04/10
Algerian baccalaureate students are racing to complete their studies in time for the 2010 World Cup.
"The most important thing is for me to pass my baccalaureate without having to worry about the national team's matches," final-year math student Samir said.
On March 21st, the Ministry of Education announced its decision to move Algeria's baccalaureate exams to June 6th. The original exam date of June 13th overlapped with the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place June 11th - July 11th.
Algeria has earned a spot in this year's World Cup for the first time since 1986. The football tournament's timing played a role in the ministry's decision.
"All Algerians have the right to watch the World Cup in peace, and we will take that into consideration," Education Minister Boubekeur Benbouzid said in a March 13th meeting with local education chiefs.
The move shortened a study schedule already disrupted by this year's labor dispute between teachers and the Algerian government. Students fell behind after a bargaining impasse and a series of demonstrations – most recently a three-week strike preceding the spring holidays – left Algerian secondary-school classrooms without teachers.
Minister Benbouzid decided to eliminate this year's holidays for final-year students, who have to prepare for exams under stringent UNESCO standards.
"Only those classes that have been affected by the disruption to the academic year will be subject to catch-up lessons," the minister said following the March strike. "The catch-up classes will be run in accordance with the delays experienced by each school."
For some students, the World Cup is worth the sacrifice.
"We've spent too much time doing nothing," final-year literature student Selma said. "Because of the strikes, we sacrificed our spring holidays so that we won't have to take our baccalaureate exams right in the middle of the World Cup."
Teachers have also adapted to the tighter schedule.
Saliha, a science teacher, said that she would have liked to spend the holidays with her children.
"But my professional conscience forbids me from abandoning my pupils, who I have been with ever since their first year of secondary school, just two months before their baccalaureate exams," she said.
The ministry's change of the exam date ended months of anxiety from students and parents. Benbouzid said March 13th that officials were undecided between June 7th and June 13th exam dates, and that the entire government would have to weigh in on the decision due to its complexity.
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/05/feature-01.
By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 05/04/10
Algerian baccalaureate students are racing to complete their studies in time for the 2010 World Cup.
"The most important thing is for me to pass my baccalaureate without having to worry about the national team's matches," final-year math student Samir said.
On March 21st, the Ministry of Education announced its decision to move Algeria's baccalaureate exams to June 6th. The original exam date of June 13th overlapped with the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place June 11th - July 11th.
Algeria has earned a spot in this year's World Cup for the first time since 1986. The football tournament's timing played a role in the ministry's decision.
"All Algerians have the right to watch the World Cup in peace, and we will take that into consideration," Education Minister Boubekeur Benbouzid said in a March 13th meeting with local education chiefs.
The move shortened a study schedule already disrupted by this year's labor dispute between teachers and the Algerian government. Students fell behind after a bargaining impasse and a series of demonstrations – most recently a three-week strike preceding the spring holidays – left Algerian secondary-school classrooms without teachers.
Minister Benbouzid decided to eliminate this year's holidays for final-year students, who have to prepare for exams under stringent UNESCO standards.
"Only those classes that have been affected by the disruption to the academic year will be subject to catch-up lessons," the minister said following the March strike. "The catch-up classes will be run in accordance with the delays experienced by each school."
For some students, the World Cup is worth the sacrifice.
"We've spent too much time doing nothing," final-year literature student Selma said. "Because of the strikes, we sacrificed our spring holidays so that we won't have to take our baccalaureate exams right in the middle of the World Cup."
Teachers have also adapted to the tighter schedule.
Saliha, a science teacher, said that she would have liked to spend the holidays with her children.
"But my professional conscience forbids me from abandoning my pupils, who I have been with ever since their first year of secondary school, just two months before their baccalaureate exams," she said.
The ministry's change of the exam date ended months of anxiety from students and parents. Benbouzid said March 13th that officials were undecided between June 7th and June 13th exam dates, and that the entire government would have to weigh in on the decision due to its complexity.
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/05/feature-01.
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