Antananarivo - Parents of schoolchildren in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar have reacted angrily to their children being asked in an exam to regurgitate the pariah government's development programme, saying the test smacks of propaganda.

Around 200,000 Madagascan pupils aged between 13 and 15 are undergoing their junior high school exams.

In their exam on the local language Malagasy the children were asked to illustrate in 15 points the efforts made by the four-month-old transitional administration of President Andry Rajoelina to develop the island.

Some parents reacted angrily, accusing the government of political snooping and saying they feared the answers might be scrutinized by intelligence services for evidence of support for ousted ex-president Marc Ravalomanana.

Ravalomanana, who was democratically re-elected to a second five- year term in 2006, was forced from office in March by a campaign of mass opposition protests that was backed by part the military.

Ravalomanana, who is now in exile in southern Africa, transferred his presidential powers to a military panel, which in turn entrusted them to his arch-rival, former Antananarivo mayor Rajoelina.

The international community has refused to recognize Rajoelina as president, saying the change of power was akin to a coup.

The ongoing political uncertainty has wrecked Madagascar's economy by scaring away investors and bringing tourism, one of the island's biggest earners, to a standstill.

Malaza daily newspaper reported that journalists had been barred from the 1,310 examination centres by armed soldiers, on the grounds of the "safety of the pupils and teachers."

Such politicization of education had never been in Madagascar, not even during the rule of former dictator Didier Ratsiraka, the Madagascar Matin newspaper lambasted in an editorial.

Madagascar's authorities have been increasingly jittery in recent weeks, following the explosion of two home-made bombs since June - one in a supermarket, the other near a military facility - and the discovery of a number of others in the capital Antananarivo.

Three people have been killed in the violence, which police blame on supporters of Ravalomanana.

Months of internationally-mediated talks between the island's four main political movements on the formation of an inclusive transitional government have made little progress. (dpa)