 |
| Cambodian students travel on boats to school through floodwaters in Kandal province, east of Phnom Penh, Oct. 3, 2011. (AFP) |
Reports of bribery in Cambodian schools underscore the country's uphill battle against corruption.
2012-07-26
Radio Free Asia
Cambodian schoolchildren are being forced to pay bribes to pass high school admissions tests, a senior local educator said on Thursday while calling on the country’s Ministry of Education to have students retake their most recent exams.
“These tests must be taken again, as the results of the previous tests are not valid,” Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association president Rong Chhun told RFA in an interview.
Proctors and examiners for junior high school students are requiring payments of between U.S. $30 to U.S. $60 for a passing grade on high school entrance exams, Rong Chhun said, adding that “middlemen” are charging similar amounts for assurances the bribes will reach the right people.
“There is a price for middlemen between U.S. $30 to U.S. $50. I urge the Ministry of Education to work with local authorities to bring the suspects to justice,” Rong Chhun said.
Cambodian Minister of Education Im Sethy could not be reached for comment, but the reports of bribery in Cambodia’s schools underscore the country’s reputation, highlighted in a recent report by Berlin-based Transparency International, for widespread corruption in the public sector.
“This bribery takes place across the country,” Rong Chhun said.
Payment to proctors
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the parent of a student in Kandal province said that his son had been told to pay U.S. $30 to proctors at the Bun Rany Hun Sen High School Examination Center in order to pass his exam, held on July 16-17.
“All students were asked to pay at least U.S. $30 dollars, including my son. But my son gave only U.S. $25,” he said.
Results of the exam will be released on July 28, he said.
Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Cambodia 164th worst out of 182 countries surveyed in its 2011 Corruption Perception Index.
Cambodia’s official Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) launched an initiative in May to eliminate bribes solicited by local commune councilors for performing public services, with ACU deputy director Chhay Savuth declaring that “[Cambodia’s] culture of bribery has been in place for over 20 years.”
But international organizations have warned that the country’s graft-busting bodies will not be effective until they are free of government influence and control.
Reported by Den Ayuthya for RFA’s Khmer service. Translation by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney.
4 comments:
I'm so tired of these POLISICK every single day. KI-Media how come you never talk about travel, people, living nor health. That's what I'm so concerned about before hand about making a trip to my homeland again.
Farmer from Battambang
cambodia needs reforms, really. this sort of thing happens all the time in any era of time under any regime, i don't care what. reforms is the key to lessen it, really! and i'm sure it's not unique to just anyone anywhere; it's all over, believe it or not.
បើអ្នកបានយល់ពីសិទ្ធិរបស់អ្នកតាំងពី
យូរមក និងមិនមានការគាបសង្កត់ពីអ្នក
មានអំណាចច្រើនជំនាន់មកនោះ ស្រុក
ទេសរបស់អ្នកក្នុងសតវត្សរ៍នេះនឹងមាន
ភាពលូតលាស់ដូចគេឯងដែរហើយ ស្រុក
គេទោះប្រជាជនគេនៅកន្លៀតណាក៏មាន
ឡានទៅប្រមូលយកកូនសិស្សមកដល់
សាលាដែរ ចុះស្រុកទេសរបស់អ្នកវិញ ?
អ្នកដឹកនាំរបស់អ្នកភាគច្រើនជាមនុស្ស
អវិជ្ជា ក្ដោបអំណាចក្រាញទាញមិនចេញ
និងកាចសាហាវផ្ដាច់ការ កាប់សម្លាប់មិន
កោតញញើតមនុស្សជាតិដូចគ្នា ។ គឺជា
សត្វសាហាវ ។ បើលោកអ្នកមិនភ្ញាក់ទេ
ទ្រាំតាមហ្នឹងទៅ ។ បើបងប្អូនបោះឆ្នោត
ទម្លាក់ពួកអន្តិរ្ថីអស់នេះចោលទៅ គ្មាននរ
ណាមកគាបសង្កត់បងប្អូនទៀតទេ ។
ក្លាហានឡើងបងប្អូន ! ។
Polling system and electoral procedure are so essential for a state reform, but there should be a political court in charge, rather NEC. They really do not have a juridical function. We need transparency and a real juridical process for the election, but impossible for now.
Post a Comment