• Society

Bac II Exam Student Absentees Fall

• By Meng Seavmey
• November 8, 2023 4:00 PM

PHNOM PENH – A total of 2,328 students did not show up for the National Examination for 12th Grade, also known as Bac II, on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. 

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports said 137,412 students, of whom 73,278 were females, registered for the exam.  Of those who failed to turn up, 934 were females. No-shows accounted for 1.69 percent of the total registered students.

Absentees were down on last year’s figure of 2,400 and 4,430 in 2021. 

Din Orchearos, a physics teacher for 12th Grade in Battambang province, said there might be three main reasons for the absences. 

One was that some had dropped out of school in the middle of the academic year. Family finances was another and the students might have gone to work in another province or country.

The other reason was being disqualified for the exam because they had exceeded the number of absences set by the schools or had failed classes. 

The reasons are not different from explanations teachers and social analysts gave for the absence figure last year. They noted that students shunned the exam due to personal issues, parents’ lack of encouragement, pressure from schools, society and family, and teachers’ qualifications. 

During the two-day exam, there were 85 cases of health issues. Five students could not continue the exam.

The ministry said the exam went smoothly and orderly despite the rain in some provinces. 

The result will be announced on Nov. 27 for students in Kandal province and Phnom Penh City, and on Nov. 28 for those in the other provinces.