Senegal: A 49-year-old mother and her daughter both achieve their BAC 2025 together

It’s a powerful image that will mark the 2025 edition of the Senegalese baccalaureate. A 49-year-old mother and her daughter crossed the finish line of the BAC exam together at the Ahmadou Bamba Technical High School (LTAB) in Diourbel, in the center of the country. Enrolled as an independent candidate, this mother managed to combine family responsibilities and personal ambitions, returning to school more than twenty years after leaving it.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation hailed this “double success” as a symbol of endurance and resilience. The official statement speaks of “an atmosphere of mutual support and shared determination” between the mother and her daughter, united in the same examination room, driven by the same will.

A success celebrated at the highest level of government

The Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf, did not hide his admiration. He expressed his “deep emotion” at this uncommon victory, which he describes as “a beautiful lesson in perseverance, reminding us that education is a right for everyone, at any time in life”.

For him, this story highlights the ability of the Senegalese education system to “support all ambitions”. Beyond the personal achievement, this success underlines the essential role of education in emancipation, at any age.

The symbol is powerful in a context where many women still interrupt their schooling for family reasons. She thus inadvertently becomes a role model for thousands of adults who no longer dare to dream of a return to school.

The 2025 session of the general baccalaureate in Senegal involves more than 166,000 candidates, of which 52.07% are from public education.