• Society

Education Does Not End with the BacII Diploma, says Ros Soveacha of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports

• By Hong Sreyna
• and Meng Seavmey
• December 25, 2022 11:57 AM

PHNOM PENH — “Please don’t feel hopeless, and don’t stop developing yourself with this result as this is not the end of your education journey.” This is what Ros Soveacha, spokesperson for Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, told students who did not get good results in the grade 12 national exam BacII, encouraging them not to give up.

A large number of students were happy with the results of the exam, which was announced on Dec. 22 and 23.

But there also were disappointed students and it is to them that Soveacha spoke, telling them that, if they did not get good results or failed, they should not feel hopeless and should keep working to gain knowledge.

“We cannot change the past,” he said. “What’s more important is that we must do our best and accept the result after working hard to prepare ourselves for a better future.

“Doing this, [you will not] regret it,” he said.  

Soveacha stressed that the national exam results were not the end of students’ education, as they still can either study for a major or go back to school and do grade 12th again.

People must make decisions based on their own goals: They ought to know or find out what they want in life, he said.

Soveacha told students that they should focus on pursuing their education in specific fields whether or not they passed the BacII national exam. Studying a major should not be a student’s second option as everyone can choose a major regardless of the fact that they passed or failed BacII, he said.

Those who failed can study and take the exam again next year or they may decide to learn a skill to work in a trade, making decisions based on their goals, talents and capabilities, Soveacha said. 

Seng Rothsethamony, an educational content creator who focuses on study tips, motivation, and scholarship-information sharing, agreed with Soveacha that failing the national exam should not be seen as the end by students.

“If you do not pass your exam now, it does not mean that you fail [in life],” she said in an online interview on Dec. 24. “It means that you can start a new chapter and be a better version of yourself.”

Rosethamony said she considers the BacII result only as “the beginning of a new and fruitful journey.” There are still two important paths that students can choose to continue their studies: working hard again for the national exam, or pursuing a skill-based major or a technical-skill program, she said. Regardless of their decision, Rosethamony said she hopes that students will believe in themselves again in the future.

“Either way, please believe in yourself like I believe in you,” she said. “I know you can do it, and please don’t give up. The sun will rise again tomorrow, and you will also shine bright in the near future.”

The result of the Grade 12th National Exam was announced on Dec. 22 for Phnom Penh and Kandal students and on Dec. 23 for the other students in the country. The results showed that nearly 91,000 students passed, accounting for 72.33 percent of the 128,135 students.  

Among those who passed the exam, 1,049 students got grade A, 7,232 students grade B 19,953 students grade C, 31,166 students grade D, and 32,459 students grade E.