Kandal province’s Chhay Sopanhana says she will study medicine. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)
Heng Kothai from Siem Reap province obtained 100 percent in his exams, as well as A’s in five subjects. (Photo: VANDY RATTANA)Friday, 05 September 2008
Written by Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post
The only two grade-A students in Cambodia say that the government needs to do more to curb cheating and bribery to ensure that exam results really reflect students' abilities
Chhay Sopanhana was lucky to be born into a family that values learning, while Heng Kothai is a perfectionist. For both, hitting the books has paid off: they were the only students in Cambodia to receive perfect exam scores out of a field of 55,178 who passed their high school finals.
Chhay Sopanhana, 17, from Hun Sen Sereypheap High School in Kandal province's Takhmao town, said she was delighted when she received news of her 99.99 percent exam result. "I did my best to receive this grade. It makes me happy and proud of myself and my whole family is also proud of me," she said.
As the youngest daughter of a health official in Kandal province, Chhay Sopanhana is now on holiday and is preparing for university.
"I am interested in studying medicine because my father is a doctor and my older sister is also approaching this field," she said, adding that she thought her outstanding grades might owe something to the fact she was "lucky to be born in a family that is encouraging me to pursue higher education".
Despite obtaining the highest possible grades in all subjects at school, Chhay Sopanhana feels that her foreign-languages skills still need some work. "I stopped learning languages for one year because I was focusing on my school exams," she explained. "I need to learn more English and French to compete with other students when I enter university," she said, adding that English would be essential in the future were she to apply for overseas scholarships to pursue her education still further.
Pech Lang, who was Chhay Sopanhana's math professor, told the Post that the A student had only used her own knowledge during the exam and did not cheat. "Sopanhana has been an outstanding student in Kandal province," she said.
Heng Kothai, the only other student in the country to obtain grade-A marks, also cited a perceived weakness in foreign languages as a factor of concern.
Despite admitting to a slight obsession with perfection, Heng Kothai says that what really got him his grades was his work ethic.
He said he is confident this will stand him in good stead when he tackles improving his language skills. "My English is not as good as my general subjects at school, but if I study hard like I studied for my exam results, I will achieve success."
The Siem Reap native received an overall exam score of 100 percent, and said he got an A in five subjects: maths, philosophy, biology, physics and chemistry.
"I only got one C for English," he added ruefully.
"I must study hard to improve my English results," he said, adding that he admires Phnom Penh students' access to finances and education.
"I am not rich enough to pay for a part-time tutor," he said.
Widespread cheating
The news of widespread bribery and cheating during the exams comes as no surprise to Heng Kothai. "Students are cheating all over the country," he said. "It is normal in Cambodia that students collect money for proctors. Government measures to crack down on such bad habits seem ineffective," he said.
According to Heng Kothai, even noncheating students have to cough up cash for teachers. "It is a must to get all 25 students in the examination room to pay," he said. "I did not cheat so I did not pay, but proctors demanded all students to pay, so my friend spent money for me. Everyone knows I did not cheat."
The student is now in Phnom Penh searching for an appropriate university to continue his education. "I want to pursue my degree in civil engineering [as] it is easy to find a good job in this field."
Nhoek Sakun, deputy head of the Department of High Schools at the Siem Reap Provincial Education Department, said that he was happy to see a student in his province receive one of the only two perfect scores in the country. "The good result shows his true capacity: He is an outstanding student in Siem Reap," he said.
However, Nhoek Sakun admitted that outstanding students with a sense of ethics were a rarity. "We cannot prevent all cheating. Cheating still exists."
Chroeng Lim Sry, of the Ministry of Education, said he was pleased to see that the two students who received A's used only their knowledge to pass the exam.
Chhay Sopanhana was lucky to be born into a family that values learning, while Heng Kothai is a perfectionist. For both, hitting the books has paid off: they were the only students in Cambodia to receive perfect exam scores out of a field of 55,178 who passed their high school finals.
Chhay Sopanhana, 17, from Hun Sen Sereypheap High School in Kandal province's Takhmao town, said she was delighted when she received news of her 99.99 percent exam result. "I did my best to receive this grade. It makes me happy and proud of myself and my whole family is also proud of me," she said.
As the youngest daughter of a health official in Kandal province, Chhay Sopanhana is now on holiday and is preparing for university.
"I am interested in studying medicine because my father is a doctor and my older sister is also approaching this field," she said, adding that she thought her outstanding grades might owe something to the fact she was "lucky to be born in a family that is encouraging me to pursue higher education".
Despite obtaining the highest possible grades in all subjects at school, Chhay Sopanhana feels that her foreign-languages skills still need some work. "I stopped learning languages for one year because I was focusing on my school exams," she explained. "I need to learn more English and French to compete with other students when I enter university," she said, adding that English would be essential in the future were she to apply for overseas scholarships to pursue her education still further.
Pech Lang, who was Chhay Sopanhana's math professor, told the Post that the A student had only used her own knowledge during the exam and did not cheat. "Sopanhana has been an outstanding student in Kandal province," she said.
Heng Kothai, the only other student in the country to obtain grade-A marks, also cited a perceived weakness in foreign languages as a factor of concern.
Despite admitting to a slight obsession with perfection, Heng Kothai says that what really got him his grades was his work ethic.
He said he is confident this will stand him in good stead when he tackles improving his language skills. "My English is not as good as my general subjects at school, but if I study hard like I studied for my exam results, I will achieve success."
The Siem Reap native received an overall exam score of 100 percent, and said he got an A in five subjects: maths, philosophy, biology, physics and chemistry.
"I only got one C for English," he added ruefully.
"I must study hard to improve my English results," he said, adding that he admires Phnom Penh students' access to finances and education.
"I am not rich enough to pay for a part-time tutor," he said.
Widespread cheating
The news of widespread bribery and cheating during the exams comes as no surprise to Heng Kothai. "Students are cheating all over the country," he said. "It is normal in Cambodia that students collect money for proctors. Government measures to crack down on such bad habits seem ineffective," he said.
According to Heng Kothai, even noncheating students have to cough up cash for teachers. "It is a must to get all 25 students in the examination room to pay," he said. "I did not cheat so I did not pay, but proctors demanded all students to pay, so my friend spent money for me. Everyone knows I did not cheat."
The student is now in Phnom Penh searching for an appropriate university to continue his education. "I want to pursue my degree in civil engineering [as] it is easy to find a good job in this field."
Nhoek Sakun, deputy head of the Department of High Schools at the Siem Reap Provincial Education Department, said that he was happy to see a student in his province receive one of the only two perfect scores in the country. "The good result shows his true capacity: He is an outstanding student in Siem Reap," he said.
However, Nhoek Sakun admitted that outstanding students with a sense of ethics were a rarity. "We cannot prevent all cheating. Cheating still exists."
Chroeng Lim Sry, of the Ministry of Education, said he was pleased to see that the two students who received A's used only their knowledge to pass the exam.
21 comments:
"The only two grade-A students in Cambodia say that the government needs to do more to curb cheating and bribery to ensure that exam results really reflect students' abilities"
What or which exam will reflected students' ability? There are so many college graduates in the US who can't read or write for shit.
Yes that is the US and other weatern world.
Cheating is like corruption. The government corrupt, the students cheat.
Who care? The US didn't crumble from it.
Congratulations! I am so happy with the two students. I wish them all the best wishes, and obtain bright future in return.
I also hope to see more outstanding students get best results from their real abilities.
Best,
Sokunthea Pheng
Japan
Like anything else, it's started with the family value.
Can't blame government alone. They say "monkey see monkey do," the parent of these two outstanding student do just the opposite. Congratulations to your accomplishment and your stride for a higher educations.
Best regards,
ABC (American born in Cambodia)
Congratulation for both elit. Such students we as Khmer must take more in action to support them because they are our Khmers future and we hope to those.
From a former student: Siem Reap ->Phnom Donpenh [Sisowath school] -> Germany University , now IT expert and economist)
HUN SEN ,
Sorry , Me ca'nt do nothing to stop the CHEATING and BRIBERY in SCAMbodia , cuz ME myself(HUN SEN )is the Master of CHEATING during aug 27 election , so live with it all AH JKORT khmers that vote for me..
LOVE HUN SHIT..
Praiseworthy and quite admirable "koun Khmer". A genuine and heartfelt congratulations to both of the best students. May God bless you both with excellent health and great wisdom. Each of you are a model who can become great Khmer leader and "all Khmers" shall look up to you with best regards. Once again, "Congratulations" to genius Heng Kothai and lovely Chhay Sopanhana. Thank you for being good to yourself. Wonderful indeed...
Congratulatons to our brigtest students above. I wish I was smart like you when I was a kid. Most often I was got C grades and rattan flogs on my palms and pinching wounds on my pork belly.
My teachers lauhged at my works and mocked at me that I would never become anything, but the hurt feeling and humiliation I inherited from those teachers had made me strong and the urge to succeed had never got out of me.
I found out you don't have to be smart at a young age but still can succeed at education if you want. Now I hold three uni degrees, a bachelor and two master degrees, not from those fake Khmer uni in Phnom Penh.
Dear All,
Cheating is not surprised, but congratulate the government for allowing our younger generation to that, good job Som Dach Dejo Hun Sen, long live Hun Sen!! Long live cheating!!!
Other note: I am so proud of the most two outstanding students, Sophana and Kothai!! Dear sister Sophana and brother Kothai, I am so proud of you both especially Kothai as I am from Siem Reap province, too. Anyway, I have only one word to share with you beside being smart and success is ''goodness''. Ok??
Siem Reap
Do you see what I mean? The US issues many fake degree. 7:15 is a great example of people with three degree and can't write for shit. Firstly, "Congratulatons to our brigtest students above" is not a complete sentence. Secondly, "Most often I was got C grades ... ." has too many verbs ... . Need I say more? Please don't listen to fake Khmer in the US.
Kol Phorm, what are you gonna do about cheating?
(your boss (Hun Kwang) cheated big time on the election.)
Yeah, but when it comes to cheating, no one beat Ah Scam Rainxy. He claimed that he could have won the election, had a few General had never used their military's car to campaign for their party, hahaha, LOL, hahaha ... What a sore loser? hahaha, LOL, hahaha, he kill me!
8.40AM, oh boy !
Now you know what I mean: ..." many fake degree".
Shouldn't it be " degrees" - plural ?
Should I say more ? This is a typical example of smart ass Khmer in Canada and USA who pretend to be so smart at English but know shit.
I can't say much when a fake English language teacher even stuffs up his own shit.
So what is your point, 5:38, your 3 fake US degrees are better than ours? Who are you trying to kid?
The point is you can't even write perfect English yourself but try to correct others.
Yes, real degrees in the US are much better than those fake ones in the land of corruption.
Right, only inside your shit brain.
See, Khmer Girls is also strong as well!
Please give us more opportunity!
Women is not just your toy!
Sex toy or not, it is your choice. having sex is mutually joyous, as a matter of fact. Khmer girls should learn to enjou it to the max. You can scream out loud during your orgasm.
Oh God! This is a real tragedy for Cambodian students under AH HUN XEN Vietcong slave educational system! I mean out of 55,178 and only two get the top score? And only two students can pursue higher learning? So Cambodia supposes to depend on the two students to lead Cambodia into a brighter future? ahhahhahahhaha!
I feel sorry for those dirt poor Cambodian students who have to bribe their fucken teacher just to learn anything! Second, I feel sorry that majority of the Cambodian students can't find a decent book that can explain them clearly what they want to learn! Third, I feel sorry for dirt poor Cambodian students that their fucken teachers don't even know how to teach and make the student connect with the real world!
Now you know why majority of Cambodian students who graduated from college and University can't find a fucken job! Let alone these Cambodian students can create their own job!
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