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Ivory Coast high school rule - 17th October 2022

The Ivory Coast government has re-introduced a strict rule for high schools. Students must score high grades to return to school. The government wants students to take their education seriously.

Students will need a minimum 8.5 in their exams to return. If they get less, they won't be allowed to return to high school.

Many students at Pierre Amondji College are happy with this rule. They want to have smaller classes. But some worry that this will give teachers too much power. They can abuse this power.

Some parents are pleased that their children will have smaller and less noisy classes. They think that their children can get more attention from teachers in smaller classes.

Other parents believe the rule is too extreme. They're worried about the students who fail. The government says these students can learn a trade, like becoming an electrician.

Stopping students with low grades from returning to school isn't the only issue. There's also a lack of teachers, which has caused class sizes to be as large as 60 to 70 students. Sometimes, there are no classes because there are no teachers.

Claude Kadio Aka says "All our children are useful in the development of the country."