“All the student always look documents and all the teachers always take some money from the student because the teachers said that if you don’t pay money for me I will catch your document all so you can not look it and today I am very happy because I passed examination and the first I want to say my parent that support me every time and after graduate from the high school I will go to university of Royal Phnom Penh and the faculty of English literature.”

Saturday, 27 August 2011 14:30 Borin Noun

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In Cambodia the results this year national high school exam have been announced.

More than 80 percent of the more than hundred thousand students who sat for the exam passed.

The government has hailed the result as positive but as Borin Noun reports a culture of corruption mean the rich have an unfair advantage.

Students earning listen to their exam results at the Bang Keng Kang high school in the centre of the capital Phnom Penh.

The results here in this well-funded school are high, 90 percent of the students here passed.

But they are not shy to admit that money played a part in their success.

Heng Moniroth said he paid 40 US dollars to his exam supervisors to get advanced copies of the exam.

“All the student always look documents and all the teachers always take some money from the student because the teachers said that if you don’t pay money for me I will catch your document all so you can not look it and today I am very happy because I passed examination and the first I want to say my parent that support me every time and after graduate from the high school I will go to university of Royal Phnom Penh and the faculty of English literature.”

Fellow student Rat Minineat passed with a B level. She also paid money to her exam supervisors.

“Yes, in fact I am worry about the corruption of the teachers because in Cambodia the corruption is still happening and help almost fifty percent that is why I have worry but today I am so clear because I get my result and then I will choose the university. I fear fine a good one that I can continue my future to be a have bright future.”

The Cambodian Independent Teachers association is calling on the government to punish corrupt exam supervisors who have been accused of selling copies of the national exam to students.

Rong Chhun is the associations head.

“We demand ministry of education to recognize that it has reached crisis level. The Ministry should not just reject the findings of our investigation into corruption they should not praise a result that is masked by corruption.”

His association found cases of leaked national examination papers in 15 provinces including the capital.

Former students say exam corruption is ingrained in the education system and has been going on for years.

However, Ou Eng, the director general of the department of education is not concerned.

“The name of the students who passed their exams will be sent to the Universities and those with the high grades will be accepted into universities and they will be able to select their subjects and begin studying.”

At the Phnom Penh Thmey high school 40 percent of the year 12 students didn’t pass.

This school is for students from poor families and there were no reports of corruption or leaked exams here.

Siphan Bona managed to pass with a D level using her own skill. She has dreams of becoming a lawyer to fight corruption.

“I will go to law faculty because I want to work to improve social justice and help my poor community. I am happy with my result but I am worry about the future and I am sad for my fellow classmates who did not pass the exam. I call on my generation to study hard and not pay money to supervisors.”

At the same school is a blind orphan student Seam Savi. She also passed the national exam with a C level.

She reads from one of her text books about the history the Nile River in Egypt. She loves history.

“I wanted to be a famous historian. I am planning to go to university to study in the sociology department. I call on my friends and fellow disabled students to study hard to get good results like me. We have greater control over our future if we passed the national exam.”

Asia Link Last Updated ( Monday, 29 August 2011 11:46 )