A large number of students were satisfied (Photo: Pring Samrang, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)28 Nov 2008
By Im Navin
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
The ministry of Health announced a larger number of student recruitments. Candidates to the school admission test held a demonstration to protest the low number of students admitted.
In a press conference held in the morning of Friday 28 November, Mam Bun Heng, the minister of Health, announced the measures taken to resolve the problem which took place for the last few days where students demonstrated in front of the Medical school. A meeting presided by Sok An, the vice-PM, was previously held to discuss about the demands made by the students.
The students, who were attending preparation classes, believed that they were wronged because only 364 of them were admitted to the Medical school. They were expecting that at least 1,000 of them would be accepted. “We accepted to recruit 507 additional students. For this, we had to accept candidates who received lower scores than planned. We have been tolerant, but we cannot lower too much the recruitment level. These are future doctors and health officials, we need them to be competent,” the minister declared.
The majority of the demonstrators were satisfied with this decision and they dismantled their demonstration. Nevertheless, Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), wished that “the government could take a better resolution. These preparation classes cost a lot to poor families, it runs about $600 per year. If the candidate fails, that’s how much they have to lose, not counting a year of study.”
In a press conference held in the morning of Friday 28 November, Mam Bun Heng, the minister of Health, announced the measures taken to resolve the problem which took place for the last few days where students demonstrated in front of the Medical school. A meeting presided by Sok An, the vice-PM, was previously held to discuss about the demands made by the students.
The students, who were attending preparation classes, believed that they were wronged because only 364 of them were admitted to the Medical school. They were expecting that at least 1,000 of them would be accepted. “We accepted to recruit 507 additional students. For this, we had to accept candidates who received lower scores than planned. We have been tolerant, but we cannot lower too much the recruitment level. These are future doctors and health officials, we need them to be competent,” the minister declared.
The majority of the demonstrators were satisfied with this decision and they dismantled their demonstration. Nevertheless, Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), wished that “the government could take a better resolution. These preparation classes cost a lot to poor families, it runs about $600 per year. If the candidate fails, that’s how much they have to lose, not counting a year of study.”
