Students in Phnom Penh wait to get their results Friday. (Photo: VANDY RATTANA)Monday, 01 September 2008
Written by Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post
Despite rampant cheating, most students only manage the lowest possible passing score on their high school finals. Bribery allegations call into question whether grades reflect capacity
FEWER students passed their high school exams this year compared with 2007, according to results released throughout the country Friday - despite widespread cheating.
Some 70.7 percent of the 55,178 students who participated received passing marks, compared with 72.7 percent of students who passed last year.
However, with allegations of widespread bribery in the classroom, many question whether the results reflect students' real capacity.
According to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports statistics signed by Ke Nay Leang, general director of education, Phnom Penh students had the highest pass rate in the country at 84.9 percent, while Stung Treng students had the lowest at just 39.6 percent.
Only two students in the country succeeded in getting grade A, the highest mark. Some 432 students got grade B, 3,289 got grade C, 14,769 got grade D and 36,706 students got grade E, according to statistics.
Chroeng Lim Sry, director of the Department of High Schools at Ministry of Education, told the Post Sunday that the lowest scores received this year were in the subject of Khmer literature. "While not many students received good scores for Khmer writing, they usually did OK in other subjects."
Chroeng Lim Sry acknowledged that cheating presented a problem during this year's exams. "We had over 79,000 students taking exams but only about 10,000 proctors to supervise," he said.
"We couldn't prevent cheating entirely, but we will punish those teachers who allowed for irregularities by suspending them from being proctors again."
Cheating, bribery rampant
Rong Chhun, president of Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, said that the fact that the majority of students passed shows a lack of strict measures to curb bribery. "There were many irregularities during the exam period," he said. "The exam results sometimes do not reflect students' real capacity."
Even though there is no concrete evidence of corruption, the fee for passing an exam can range anywhere from 7,000 riels in the provinces to 12,000 riels in Phnom Penh, Rong Chhun added.
Chroeng Lim Sry said that while some students have paid bribes, he could guarantee that no formal cheat fees exist. He added that during exam day, two teachers were fired for taking money in exchange for test answers.
FEWER students passed their high school exams this year compared with 2007, according to results released throughout the country Friday - despite widespread cheating.
Some 70.7 percent of the 55,178 students who participated received passing marks, compared with 72.7 percent of students who passed last year.
However, with allegations of widespread bribery in the classroom, many question whether the results reflect students' real capacity.
According to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports statistics signed by Ke Nay Leang, general director of education, Phnom Penh students had the highest pass rate in the country at 84.9 percent, while Stung Treng students had the lowest at just 39.6 percent.
Only two students in the country succeeded in getting grade A, the highest mark. Some 432 students got grade B, 3,289 got grade C, 14,769 got grade D and 36,706 students got grade E, according to statistics.
Chroeng Lim Sry, director of the Department of High Schools at Ministry of Education, told the Post Sunday that the lowest scores received this year were in the subject of Khmer literature. "While not many students received good scores for Khmer writing, they usually did OK in other subjects."
Chroeng Lim Sry acknowledged that cheating presented a problem during this year's exams. "We had over 79,000 students taking exams but only about 10,000 proctors to supervise," he said.
"We couldn't prevent cheating entirely, but we will punish those teachers who allowed for irregularities by suspending them from being proctors again."
Cheating, bribery rampant
Rong Chhun, president of Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, said that the fact that the majority of students passed shows a lack of strict measures to curb bribery. "There were many irregularities during the exam period," he said. "The exam results sometimes do not reflect students' real capacity."
Even though there is no concrete evidence of corruption, the fee for passing an exam can range anywhere from 7,000 riels in the provinces to 12,000 riels in Phnom Penh, Rong Chhun added.
Chroeng Lim Sry said that while some students have paid bribes, he could guarantee that no formal cheat fees exist. He added that during exam day, two teachers were fired for taking money in exchange for test answers.
6 comments:
Teachers that accept bribe should be fired and student that cheat should be suspended for a year.
The government should hire qualified teachers not the fake one.
Wow, that is crazy that the whole country there are only 2 students got an A. That is just unbelievable. I want to know who they are.
Sorry, you have no idea what is really going on there. To pay after the exam is a m u s t to pass.
I payed 600 $ that my sister in law passed and I know that this was a low price. Rich people pay some thousands of dollars.
I have friends and cousins that had had scholarship to Japan and Korea to study there. They didn't pay a penny, but they were top student.
So what you are trying to say is that you and your sister are mediocre student.
So Cambodia should only allow top student to go to university, all the rest should learn trade in college.
The government should have limited number of student in every university branch.
I have nothing against non top students, but Cambodia need to reform its education system. This the future of the country.
I heard that Chinese scholarship offer to some high ranking officials and $4,000 for Master program.
Thank U.S. and Canada for giving me the scholarship
KI letters full of men that like to post unpleasant attacks on Women!
Be Careful!
I have some associations of more than ten universities in Cambodia.
I have to use my power to protect Khmer Women interest as well!
stop using harsh words against women, please.
You better read carefully!
There was nothing written against women!
In a country where the lower workers and employees have to pay the boss to keep their job it is consequent, that the pupils have to pay the "correctors" of their exams.
Of course this runs as an open secret. And the teachers ask you before, if you like to pay or not. To make sure to pass you have to pay. The exam paper can be separated from the name of the writer/pupil.
I have a cambodian family -by marriage- and my informations are from them.
By the way: this does not happy only in Cambodia - money runs the success in every country - even in western states! If rich people can afford, they send their children to schools where they know someone or can influence by money and give donations etc. pp.
Post a Comment