Students are frisked by officials before entering the Grade 12 national exams at Tuol Tumpoung High School in August. Heng Chivoan
Two months after the national Grade 12 examinations, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport is now set to issue temporary certificates to be handed out to passing students at their respective schools.
The move is a noticeable change from previous years when passing students had to come to the ministry in Phnom Penh to receive their certificates.
Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha told The Post on Wednesday that it had informed municipal and provincial education department directors about the new practice.
He said the ministry had instructed each department to send their representatives to collect the certificates at the ministry’s Examinations Department on October 21.
“Municipal and provincial education department directors shall call a meeting with specialist officials and school principals to set up a mechanism to further disseminate information and present temporary certificates to passing students at their respective schools,” the ministry’s statement said.
Held on August 19-20, this year saw 79,052 out of 117,043 candidates, or 68.62 per cent, pass their Grade 12 examinations – an increase of 1.55 per cent compared to last year.
Kratie provincial education department director Lay Bora told The Post on Wednesday that he would call a meeting with school principals and instruct them to present the certificates to students after receiving them from the ministry. He said the certificates would be handed out free of charge.
“They are not supposed to pay for their certificate. Anyone caught charging a fee from students would be held accountable. I’ve never allowed anyone to take money from students because that is against the ministry’s principles,” he said.
Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association president Ouk Chayavy welcomed the move. Over the years, she said students would have to travel to the capital just to get their certificates from the ministry.
Chayavy said while the new practice would provide convenience to students throughout the Kingdom, she called on the ministry to expedite its certificate issuance process as students needed them to apply to higher educational institutions or for jobs.
“The ministry has to change for the better and stop keeping passing students waiting too long for their certificates. We’ve seen students complain a lot about the delay.
“A repeat of the same mistakes would make students and the public unhappy with the education system,” she said.
