controversy over the politicization of the BEPC exams

The HAT didn’t expect such at all. The putschist regime thought to make its « advertising », in the end it only harvested blame. The polemic goes on today following the ministry’s initiative of introducing a topic about the « Transition government’s efforts » in the BEPC exam’s Malagasy subject. 

The legalistic critics made it a valid reason for the putschist leaders’ « departure ». Demonstrators, who keep on their daily claim for the return to constitutional order, don’t only call upon the education minister’s resignation, Julian Razafimanazato, for this « politicization » of education in Madagascar. They also require the cancellation of the tests. 

Against this outcry, the government finally had to react. It did in a rather clumsy way though. The High Authority of Transition’s spokesman let it known that the government was not in charge of exams’ topics preparation. The HAT had to specify that such duty belonged to teachers linked to the concerned ministry.  

At the education department level, some officials even went as far as putting forward that exiled president Marc Ravalomanana’s partisan teachers, indeed patched up the topic to besmirch the HAT portrait.  

If the organization of new tests is rather unlikely, the introduction of politics into exams will have anyhow been feeding polemics on the HAT intentions, already blamed for irregular election campaign.