First Quarter Results Reflect Academic Discipline
On December 23 in Brazzaville, the General Leclerc Military Preparatory School, locally known as Empgl, released the report cards for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 academic year, covering grades six through twelve. This announcement continued a December ritual closely followed by families and defense officials.
In a packed hall decorated in national colors, the director of studies highlighted last year’s 100% success rate in state exams and grade promotions, attributing this achievement to “discipline, method, and early revision,” which places the school among the country’s top-performing institutions.
Exceptional Cadets Honored
Leading the class, eighth-grade cadet Victor Francis Divin Edzimou achieved an average of 18.20 and was promoted to the rank of sergeant, a distinction rarely attained before the ninth grade. Two sixth-grade students, Merveil Diafounou with 16.65 and Boutsele Freud with 15.87, complete the quarter’s top three.
Interviewed minutes after the roll call, Edzimou credited his performance to “reading every evening and adhering to the schedule set by our section leader.” He urged his peers to “visit the library more often than their smartphones,” a statement immediately applauded by the parents present.
Other students with excellent results included eighth-grade cadet Euphraim Missamou with 16.30 and eleventh-grade cadet Sidiki Diabaté with 14.97, proof, according to the director of studies, that “rank and grades reinforce each other.” Each received an encouraging pat on the shoulder from Brigadier General Charles-Victoire Bantadi.
Regional Diversity in the Barracks
The 458 students come from eleven countries, ranging from Togo to Angola and Guinea. Administrators state that this mix reflects the spirit of CEMAC and provides Congolese adolescents with daily exposure to the different accents, cuisines, and problem-solving approaches of Francophone Africa.
The school commander argued that such diversity “prepares cadets for regional peace support operations where teamwork is non-negotiable.” He added that most foreign students receive scholarships under bilateral defense agreements, alleviating parental concerns about boarding fees.
Passing Down Symbols and Traditions
After distributing the report cards, the hall fell into a solemn silence for the annual sponsorship ceremony, which pairs twelfth-grade students with sixth graders. This rite, inherited from French military colleges, binds “sponsors” and “mentees” for a year of mentoring, shared exercises, and, as initiates joke, discreet chocolate smuggling.
The commander used this moment to present the school’s pennant, a tricolor rectangle emblazoned with an eagle and a shield, symbols of vigilance and protection. “Carry it in your heart, not just during parades,” he advised, before explaining the rules for saluting the colors.
The redesigned beret and dark green uniform, introduced this quarter, also drew comments. The commander insisted they “speak of unity, respect, and service.” Tailors from the Defense Industries Group delivered the first batch on time, addressing, parents noted, previous complaints about fitting delays.
Parents and Alumni Express Support
Outside the assembly, accountant Solange Ebina waited to hug her nephew, a new sixth-grade cadet. “We appreciate the blend of science classes and military drills,” she said, adding that cadets “learn punctuality, a quality ordinary schools sometimes struggle to instill.”
The alumni association president, Captain Stéphane Ndinga, Class of 2007, donated mathematics textbooks after the ceremony. He argued that maintaining perfect exam results requires “constant renewal of materials, not just passion.” The association plans a crowdfunding campaign for modern physics lab equipment in March.
Outlook for National Exam Period
With the second quarter resuming on January 8, teachers will accelerate mock test series to prepare twelfth graders for the baccalaureate in June. The Congolese Ministry of Education has kept the same exam schedule, easing concerns about post-pandemic calendar changes.
Empgl’s science track achieved an average of 16.8 in last year’s mathematics mock tests, well above the national average of 11.2. An education economist states the school’s boarding system “provides extra hours of supervised study that public high schools simply cannot match.”
Beyond grades, defense analysts view the institution as a talent pool for future non-commissioned officers. A retired colonel notes that a tenth of the current captains in the Armed Forces once wore the Empgl badge, “a continuity that strengthens operational doctrine across generations.”
For now, the campus returns to its holiday calm. Dormitories will reopen on January 5, but the library remains accessible for voluntary study. Edzimou and his friends say they will spend part of their vacation there, pursuing the average of 19 that twelfth graders whisper about.
Education officials from the neighboring regional inspection called the first-quarter charts “encouraging for national goals under Congo Vision 2025.” They suggest replicating Empgl’s tutoring system in rural schools could improve overall pass rates, a policy proposal reportedly under consideration.
While such decisions take shape, families in Brazzaville savor the latest report cards, a timely gift three days before Christmas. For the cadets, celebration will be brief; the bugles will soon call them back to the parade ground, where discipline and algebra meet at dawn.
Digital Tools Enter the Classroom
A pilot tablet program, developed by the Brazzaville-based startup ManyaTech, will equip ten classes with offline lesson packs that update once a week, bypassing campus connectivity issues.
IT instructor Olga Makaya anticipates lighter backpacks and instant quiz feedback. If the test succeeds, officials state similar devices could be deployed in public schools as part of the national digital agenda.