PHNOM PENH, Dec 28 (NNN-AKP) – A total of 114,183 Cambodian candidates are taking a national high school graduation exam, after the situation of COVID-19 pandemic had been brought under control.
The annual exam is a prerequisite for Grade 12 students to pursue their studies at university levels.
Over the course of two days, the candidates will sit for the test, in the subjects of earth and environment, geography, history, biology, foreign language, Khmer literature, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and morality-civics, according to an Education Ministry’s statement.
Speaking to reporters, while visiting an exam centre, at the Preah Sisowath High School, in the capital Phnom Penh, Education Minister, Hang Chuon Naron said, there are 204 exam centres, with 4,616 rooms across the nation.
“All educators and exam-takers are required to strictly follow health and safety measures, including wearing face masks, washing hands, having temperature checked, and maintaining physical distancing, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
The minister said, two students, who tested positive for COVID-19, after returning to the country from Kazakhstan, where they participated in the 2021 Asian Senior Karate Championships, were also allowed to take their exam, at a COVID-19 treatment centre.
Last year, due to the pandemic, the government allowed all Grade 12 students to pass their exit exam automatically, without sitting for it.
Naron said, the exam was held this year, after the kingdom achieved high COVID-19 vaccination rates, as well as, a significant drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent months.
Cambodia has so far administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to 14.24 million people, or 89 percent of its 16-million population, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Of them, 13.62 million, or 85.1 percent, are fully vaccinated with two required shots, and 3.39 million, or 21.2 percent, have taken a booster shot, the MoH added.– NNN-AKP
