Students look for their names on the candidates' list at Preah Sisowath high school in 2019. Hean Rangsey
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport spokesman Ros Soveacha said the number of students who will sit for high school examinations on December 21-20 has risen five per cent compared to last year.
Soveacha told The Post on Wednesday that the number totalled 121,201, which is an increase of roughly 6,000. Of the students, 63,937 are girls and 57,264 boys.
According to a statistics report on examination candidates in the capital and 24 provinces, 40,765 (33. 63 per cent) will sit for science examinations and 80,436 (66. 37 per cent) for social science.
Soveacha said there are 237 examination centres, an increase of 35. There are 4,891 examination rooms, 167 more than last year.
“The number increases or decreases. This is nothing unusual because every year the number of candidates changes. It depends on students who study and students who sit for examinations.
“What is new this year is their candidacy was not deprived. It means that as long as they applied to sit for the examinations, they have a right to sit for them.
“It is different from the past several years when candidates were rejected because they were absent too many times or didn’t do well in the first and second semester,” Soveacha said.
He said the ministry is preparing a letter requesting cooperation from relevant ministries and institutions such as the ministries of Interior, and Health, the Anti-corruption unit and the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia.
He said the ministry would confirm the participation of relevant ministries and institutions after they responded to the request.
“I would like to send a message to students that the fulfilment of your life wishes is in your hands. Self-study plays a crucial role, especially in the context of Covid-19.
“In other words, I ask all candidates and education officials to be careful and respect the Road Traffic Law, especially during the examinations,” he said.
Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (Cita) president Ouk Chayavy said students studied less and didn’t study regularly this year due to Covid-19.
“This year, perhaps the ministry will prepare less difficult examination papers compared to the past few years. I think high school examinations this year might be easier than last year,” she said.
