The Gabonese education system continues to evolve with several notable changes for the 2024-2025 academic year. Among these new features, we note the introduction of the Competency-Based Approach (APC), an educational method aimed at reducing academic failure. This reform is accompanied by the experimentation of a new report card for 6th and 5th grade classes.
According to Joachim Ondjila Ognele, Inspector General of National Education Services, the development of this new report card meets two main objectives: to harmonize the coefficients and fully integrate the APC into the evaluation of students. Previously variable, the coefficients are now standardized following the recommendations of the General States of Education of 2010. This development puts an end to a system inherited from the colonial period, which granted disproportionate importance to the sciences.
A bulletin with a unique coefficient
The new bulletin is structured into four main sections: sciences, languages, humanities and personal development. Each subject is assigned a unique coefficient of 1. Among the scientific subjects, we find mathematics, physical and chemical sciences, life and earth sciences (SVT), new information and technology technologies. communication (NICT) and technology.
The language section includes French, English, Spanish, German, Arabic, Italian, as well as traditional languages, recently added to the program. As for the human sciences, they include history-geography and citizenship education. Finally, personal development includes physical and sports education (PE), visual arts, musical education and family and social economics.
Innovations and skills assessment
A major innovation of this bulletin lies in the introduction of a column entitled “ mastery level “, which allows for a more detailed assessment of the skills acquired by students. A score between 16 and 20 indicates maximum mastery, between 10 and 15.99 means minimum mastery, between 4 and 9.99 means partial mastery, while a score below 4 means non-mastery. This new approach aims to better understand the difficulties of students and to reduce the repetition rate, which has become worrying in the country.
This experimental bulletin reflects the desire of the Gabonese authorities to modernize school evaluation and adapt the education system to contemporary requirements. If this initiative is currently limited to 6th and 5th grade classes, it could be generalized to the entire education system if the results are positive.
