SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF PREPARATION FOR DEGREE SUBJECT CHOICE WITHIN BENIN’S PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE FRAMEWORK

In Benin, whilst the official choice of university degree course takes place following success in the baccalaureate, preparation for this decision occurs much earlier during secondary education where there is no guidance action. This research presents a systems analysis of preparation for university course selection within Benin’s public educational guidance framework, examining the articulation between institutional provision and the self-guidance strategies adopted by prospective university entrants. A mixed-method methodology was employed with 464 participants across three target groups: lower-sixth and upper-sixth secondary school students, school administrators, and heads of Training and Research Units (UFRs) at the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC). Quantitative data (questionnaires analysed using IBM SPSS 29) and qualitative data (semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis) reveal a major structural and temporal misalignment. While public guidance mechanisms have been focused exclusively on the post-baccalaureate period since the 2020 reform (comprising an information prospectus and a digital portal), secondary students build their educational choices in an information vacuum. In the absence of dedicated guidance services and qualified careers advisers within schools, future school leavers rely on self-guidance driven largely by personal interest (75.3%), prior academic grades (33.0%), and the pursuit of university scholarships or bursaries (32.0%). The study highlights the necessity of reshaping public policy through a systems approach: introducing structured guidance services from lower secondary education onwards and fostering strong synergies between secondary schooling, higher education institutions, and the labour market.