Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Three quarters of students receive failing mark

Three quarters of students receive failing mark

Students crowd around a score board at Sisowath High School
Students crowd around a score board at Sisowath High School Heng Chivoan

Three quarters of students receive failing mark

Almost 90,000 took the Grade 12 exam, which cracked down on cheaters. Just 11 received an A

As much-anticipated Grade 12 exam results were released yesterday, 18-year-old So Chan Samnang came one crucial step closer to her dream of studying law at university.

Though her E grade is far from perfect, it’s enough to apply to tertiary institutions and greatly exceeds what most of her peers managed.

Just 25.72 per cent of students passed the exam, the Ministry of Education officially announced yesterday, a result lower even than the dismal 30 per cent figure predicted by Prime Minister Hun Sen in the aftermath of the two-day test earlier this month.

The exam – usually rife with corruption and cheating – had been hailed as the cleanest in many years, thanks to a determined crackdown by the ministry, which deployed thousands of monitors from the anti-corruption unit to enforce strict regulations.

By way of comparison, 87 per cent of students passed in 2013.

“I tried hard, because I knew that this year would be so strict,” a smiling Samnang said yesterday after checking her results at Phnom Penh’s Sisowath High School, which had been swamped by hundreds of hopeful youth, some leaving in celebration, others in tears.

“I’m happy with myself, but when I heard many of my friends failed, how can I be happy?” she added.

Tri Veng Seang, 18, one of her three friends standing nearby, and looking dismal in the drizzling rain, said he did not blame the government’s reforms for his failure.

“I’m not angry with them, but I feel so stupid with myself.”

Almost 90,000 candidates sat the exams on August 4 and 5, but only 11 received the top A grade. Two hundred and nineteen students received B’s, 907 received C’s, 1,823 received D’s and 20,157, received the lowest passing grade, an E.

“The results of this year’s examination show that the students that passed, they passed on merit,” Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron, credited with implementing the tough reforms, told the Post yesterday.

While it was a “disappointing” result, he added, it provided a lot of clear information about challenges in the education sector.

“It also gives encouragement for the students to work harder over the next few years. And it also gives a lot of information for us [about certain] provinces, and also, for subject areas where we have low scores, we can focus on those subjects for curriculum reform, textbook reform and retraining teachers.”

He also dismissed criticism from some failing students that the reforms had been implemented too quickly or without enough warning.

“On September 28 [last year], the ministry unveiled eight priorities for reform, which included examination reform and we raised awareness of that reform… We made a press campaign one year in advance, but the students thought we were not serious,” he said.

But failing students will have another chance on October 13 and 14. On August 11, Hun Sen announced there would be a re-test under the same conditions.

Naron said yesterday that the ministry would soon release free texts of lessons for self-study and organise classes for students that can’t afford extra tutoring.

San Chey, coordinator at education NGO ANSA-EAP, said that the government should next year only offer a re-exam to students that came close to passing, and eventually phase out any re-exams by 2017.

“If the re-exam is happening again and again, the results of the reform will change nothing.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story said that more than 93,000 students sat the exam. Almost 90,000 students sat the exam.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.