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| Boeung Trabek High School (Photo Siv Channa, RFI) |
High school students pray and get blessed with holy water in hope of passing their final exam
23 July 2011
By Ky Soklim
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Si Sophon for KI-Media
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
“If Hun Sen’s government sets out to keep the youth “dumb”, it cannot do a better job after 18 years of power.” – Anonymous
Two days prior to the final high school exit exam, young male and female students seem to be very confused. Some went to offer foods to the spirits, others tried to get blessed with holy water, while others are only looking to buy the cheat sheets so they can copy the answer. On the other hand, teachers from the Cambodia Independent Teachers Association (CITA) are calling for an end to the leak of exam topics during the exam day.
At about 8AM on Saturday, 3 female students from Boeung Trabek high schools carried food and fruits on their motorbikes to a spirit shack located near the sport field close the high school.
With smiling faces, the three students said that they are preparing an offering to the spirit in the school in order to ask for wellbeing, as well as to ask for the spirit to help them pass their exams this year. One of the students confirmed that the offering prior to the exam is a Khmer “tradition” that was passed on from one to another. Such offering will help secure the students’ determination and not let them have fear during the exam day.
Another group of students who just completed the offerings said that the offering must be conducted, but the studying must be done as well in order to pass the exam. Another group of students discussed about the merit of being blessed by holy water. Some plan to have their parents pour the holy water on them, whereas another group talked about asking the service of monks instead.
In Cambodia, superstition is still going strong among the people. Offering to the spirits is usually conducted when people face a dangerous situation or when they want succeed.
Another group of students are talking only about buying the solutions to the exams (cheat sheets) so that they can copy them. Some plan on paying $2 for each exam subject, or a lump sum cost $30 for all the subjects combined. By buying the solution to the exams, the chance of getting the right answers is 80%. On Saturday, officials from the ministry of Education declined to comment on these activities. However, in the past, officials from the ministry of Education explained that buying cheat sheets has nothing to do with the actual exam topics, therefore, the students should not buy them.
On Saturday, Mrs. Ouk Chhayavy, a CITA vice-president, called on the ministry of Education to take measures to stop all exam topic leaks during this year’s exam. The leak of the exam topics led to mass plagiarism and it affects the quality of the exam. The ministry of Education posted announcements along schools stating that plagiarism is prohibited.
Mrs. Ouk Chhayavy said that exam proctors should not accept bribes from students because this goes against the teachers’ ethics.
The 2011 exam will last between 25 and 27 July 2011, more than 100,000 students will be taking this exam.
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