Cambodia Vows to Ensure Fairness in High School Graduation Exams

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia held a meeting on August 6th in Phnom Penh to provide important instructions and reminders to national examination supervisors for the 2026 High School Graduation Examination (Sanha Bat Mid-Term Education Diploma), scheduled for August 10, 2026. The meeting was attended by H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports; H.E. Om Yentieng, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU); leaders from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the ACU; and members of the national examination supervisor committees. The purpose of this meeting was to provide instructions and recommendations to the supervisors on updated principles, procedures, technical aspects, roles, and responsibilities related to the examination. The aim is to ensure that the upcoming exams are conducted in accordance with the principles of law, justice, and transparency, yielding acceptable results where "those who know will pass." H.E. Om Yentieng, Chairman of the ACU, highly commended the close and continuously improving cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the ACU since the initial implementation of examination reforms in 2014. He noted that despite significant public backlash and a low pass rate of only about 25% at that time, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports maintained a firm stance without compromising examination standards. This, he stated, marked a historical turning point in the development of Cambodia's education sector, strengthening human resource quality and examination integrity. The achievements of this collaboration were highlighted as follows: 1. The establishment of rigorous mechanisms and specific standards to strengthen all stages of the examination. 2. The implementation of a clear, strict, and highly responsible management system that has eliminated the culture of bribery and cheating. 3. The cultivation of a sense of ownership and honor among education officials and teachers. 4. The acceptance of various forms of cooperation to enhance and demonstrate transparency in the examination process. 5. The promotion of behavioral changes in learning, transforming students' habits to study diligently rather than relying on luck. H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron expressed his deep gratitude to the ACU and all relevant parties for their continuous support of the high school graduation examination process and their significant contribution to the success of the reforms, which are central to the education sector. He also praised and thanked the teams under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports at all levels and all stakeholders for their diligent efforts and responsible contributions to the examination reforms, leading to progress each year towards the goal of quality, equitable, and inclusive education. Furthermore, H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron stated that the success of the examination reforms has awakened students to study hard and teachers to teach diligently, opening doors to many more opportunities for the future. Regarding the decline in the pass rate for science students, he affirmed that the Ministry accepts all constructive feedback based on clear data and evidence. In this regard, the Ministry is continuing further research to improve science education, which necessitates support from all stakeholders, especially parents and guardians, and the personal efforts of the students themselves. Additionally, the Ministry is focusing on reforming schools and teachers by developing incentive policies to attract talented individuals to the teaching profession and strengthening teacher training, particularly through the continuous development of new teaching methodologies. The cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the ACU is based on mutual oversight principles to ensure that exams are conducted with the utmost fairness and integrity. This includes the principle of confidentiality, ensuring scorers do not know the identity of students, the principle of verification, where a second review is conducted after the initial scoring, and many other principles designed to respond to various phenomena that may occur during and after the examinations. Source: CEN Cambodia