The story of the oldest woman to run for the baccalaureate in Algeria has been widely circulated on social media. At 92 years old, she is only a few years away from a century, yet this has not affected her determination to pursue the prestigious academic diploma. With great will and determination that overcome the wrinkles of time, Mrs. Rabha Ben Nail, born in 1932, attended the examination center at Ben Lahrach Bashir Secondary School in Hassi Bahbah, Djelfa province, throughout this week in the literature and philosophy track, full of hope to obtain this significant educational qualification that will open doors to higher education.
This is her second attempt at passing the baccalaureate exams, which are considered a gateway to university. After failing to secure it last year during the 2023 session, she remained hopeful of achieving her dream of success and obtaining the "bak" diploma, as her close ones confirm. Many social media users shared images of this elderly woman in the examination center, emphasizing that Mrs. Rabha's story has become an inspiring motivator for young students to continue their education and not succumb to failure. Other activists have wished her good luck this time in obtaining the baccalaureate certificate.
According to local media sources, Mrs. Rabha's educational journey began with her enrollment in literacy classes, allowing her to earn a liberation certificate in 2015. She then joined the first year of middle school through the National Office for Distance Learning in the 2015/2016 academic year, continuing her educational path until she passed the middle school certificate. She embarked on the secondary education journey, reaching the final stage, the baccalaureate, last year when she took the 2023 session at the age of 91. Although she did not succeed, she remained committed to participating, as demonstrated this year when she registered and attended the examination centers.
Numerous elderly individuals share the dream of the baccalaureate. It is well known that many seniors from both genders apply as free candidates for the baccalaureate every year in Algeria. Their stories, often shared in the media and on social media platforms, become inspiring narratives for the younger generation. Each of them has a reason for returning to academic pursuits, but they all share a common goal: the dream of obtaining the baccalaureate, which holds a special significance in Algerian society.
Notably, the baccalaureate exams for the June 2024 session began last Sunday and concluded yesterday, Thursday, witnessing the participation of over 860,000 candidates distributed across 2,893 examination centers throughout the country.
