Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron has postponed the national senior high school diploma examination – also known as “Baccalaureate” exam – for the 2021-22 academic year, pushing it from November to early December.

Chuon Naron cited national and regional events including the Water Festival and ASEAN Summit, among others, as the reason as they are all taking place in November.

“In order to avoid any disruptions to the [aforementioned] events and to give candidates more time to prepare, the ministry has decided to postpone the exam until December 5-6, from the original dates of November 21-22.”

The ministry noted that the optional subjects for the exam this year are Historiography for the social sciences section and geosciences and ecology for the science section.

The ministry also announced that it would be temporarily suspending the operation of public and private educational institutions at all levels in Phnom Penh during the ASEAN Summit and related meetings in November.

“In order to reduce traffic congestion and disturbance in Phnom Penh, as well as facilitate the movement of convoys of delegates during the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit and related meetings, the ministry will temporarily close all schools in Phnom Penh for three days from November 10-12.