D©dougou: The governor of the Bankui and Sourou region, Babo Pierre Bassinga, launched the written examinations for the 2026 Baccalaureate on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at the Sainte-C©cile private high school in D©dougou, in the presence of administrative, educational, and security authorities. He urged the candidates to take the exams calmly, with concentration and a sense of responsibility.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the governor highlighted the significance of the Baccalaureate as a crucial step in the academic journey of candidates and a significant event in the Burkinabe education system. He advised the candidates to approach the task with serenity, concentration, and a sense of responsibility, underscoring that the results reflect efforts made throughout the school year.
The governor also encouraged the candidates to honor their parents and the country’s highest authorities, who worked to organize the exam within the required timeframe. He acknowledged the commitment of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and other mobilized actors, assuring that all necessary security and logistical arrangements have been taken to ensure the smooth running of the tests.
He urged parents to support their children with understanding, emphasizing that academic success relies heavily on perseverance and effort. Official statistics indicate that the 2026 session involves 6,425 candidates in the Bankui and Sourou regions, distributed across 28 juries. The Bankui region has 4,724 candidates, including 2,425 girls and 2,299 boys, across 20 examination boards, while the Sourou region has 1,601 candidates, including 837 girls and 764 boys, across eight examination boards.
Just before the exams commenced, several candidates expressed a mix of stress and hope. However, they showed confidence, citing their preparation efforts throughout the school year via individual revisions, group work, practical exercises, and teacher-supervised homework.
Raoul Sanon, the regional director of secondary education and vocational and technical training, stated that everything is proceeding smoothly. “The number of registered candidates this year has decreased by nearly 1,000 compared to the previous session, a situation attributed to the decrease in registrations and not to the security context,” he explained. This decrease led to the elimination of the Kouka jury, which had about sixty candidates, and the opening of a new jury in Siby to accommodate 287 candidates. Raoul Sanon expressed hope for further improvement in the region’s performance in future sessions, following the respectable ranking achieved the previous year, where it climbed to fourth place nationally.