Over 4,000 students absent from matriculation exams in Arakan State

By DMG News Team 11 Mar 2020

News Team | DMG
11 March, Sittwe

A total of 4,022 students in Arakan State were absent from the first day of matriculation exams on March 11, the Department of Myanmar Examinations said. That absentee rate of nearly 8.2% was nearly 2 percentage points higher than the national average, with education administrators citing conflict-related challenges as among the drivers of the attendance shortfall.

In Arakan State, 49,183 students were registered to sit matriculation exams this year, but only 45,161 students presented at the exam rooms yesterday.

Twenty exam centers from war-affected parts of Minbya, Kyauktaw, Myebon, Ann, Ponnagyun, Mrauk-U, Kyaukphyu, Rathedaung and Buthidaung townships were relocated for the students’ safety.

Some students did not arrive to sit the exam at the new locations because they could not afford to stay in the towns — often a considerable distance from their homes — where the testing is being administered, an education staffer said.

The exam center for students at Darlet High School in Ann Township was relocated for safety reasons to schools in Ann town, but 50 of more than 200 students registered to sit exams in the town were not present on Wednesday. Some were absent due to financial constraints and others were no-shows for health reasons, the staffer said.

Daw Thein Yin, a parent in Rathedaung Township, urged Arakan State’s warring parties to cease their fire during the matriculation exam period because students had studied hard for the whole year in order to do well in the high-stakes test now upon them.

“We sent our children to school spending all the money we have, so we do not want to see our children unable to sit the exam due to armed conflict,” she said, echoing a sentiment expressed ahead of the testing as fighting between the military and Arakan Army ethnic armed group has continued across several townships in Arakan State.

A total of 971,407 students registered to sit matriculation exams throughout Myanmar and 61,134 were absent yesterday, according to the Department of Myanmar Examinations.