By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The Ministry of Education will investigate allegations by students and the Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association that answer sheets were widely available in some parts of the country on the eve of Monday's high school examinations, a ministry official said.
CITA said in a statement that the sheets for the Khmer-language composition exam were available in Kompong Cham province and Sihanoukville municipality, as well as in the capital.
More than 50,000 students nationwide are participating in the exams, which began Monday and end Wednesday.
"The association carefully verified the questions and answers that circulated in the markets. They are the same as the Ministry of Education's questions," CITA President Rong Chhun said in the statement.
The Ministry of Education must open an immediate investigation into the leak of the questions. If the ministry finds out it is true, the ministry must punish and prosecute those perpetrators," he added.
Chea Se, Education Ministry undersecretary of state, who oversees the 12th-grade exams, said he saw no evidence to back up the cheat-sheet allegations, and that he believed the tests were going smoothly. Nevertheless, he said, the ministry will investigate.
"During the examination, schools are very quiet" he said. "We will conduct an investigation following the completion of the examination."
In Phnom Penh, students could be seen outside several photocopy shops queuing to copy exam sheets ahead of the afternoon exam in Khmer-language composition.
One student at the Indra Devi High School alleged that students paid their proctors for copies of the sheets.
Rong Chhun said by telephone that students bought the answer sheets for $20 each. He added that cheat sheets were only available for Khmer-language composition, though he said cheating also occurred in Monday's exams in biology, chemistry and geography.
Education Minister Kol Pheng declined to speak to a reporter, saying he would only respond to questions submitted to him in writing.
Rong Chhun urged the government to combat corruption in the exam process, as he said it encourages malpractice in later life.
CITA said in a statement that the sheets for the Khmer-language composition exam were available in Kompong Cham province and Sihanoukville municipality, as well as in the capital.
More than 50,000 students nationwide are participating in the exams, which began Monday and end Wednesday.
"The association carefully verified the questions and answers that circulated in the markets. They are the same as the Ministry of Education's questions," CITA President Rong Chhun said in the statement.
The Ministry of Education must open an immediate investigation into the leak of the questions. If the ministry finds out it is true, the ministry must punish and prosecute those perpetrators," he added.
Chea Se, Education Ministry undersecretary of state, who oversees the 12th-grade exams, said he saw no evidence to back up the cheat-sheet allegations, and that he believed the tests were going smoothly. Nevertheless, he said, the ministry will investigate.
"During the examination, schools are very quiet" he said. "We will conduct an investigation following the completion of the examination."
In Phnom Penh, students could be seen outside several photocopy shops queuing to copy exam sheets ahead of the afternoon exam in Khmer-language composition.
One student at the Indra Devi High School alleged that students paid their proctors for copies of the sheets.
Rong Chhun said by telephone that students bought the answer sheets for $20 each. He added that cheat sheets were only available for Khmer-language composition, though he said cheating also occurred in Monday's exams in biology, chemistry and geography.
Education Minister Kol Pheng declined to speak to a reporter, saying he would only respond to questions submitted to him in writing.
Rong Chhun urged the government to combat corruption in the exam process, as he said it encourages malpractice in later life.
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