VUTHASURF

Education is important but the annual exam for high school always have been held but the bad smell of irregularities, cheating, corruption always appeared during the day of exam while students paid some cash to exam proctors and controllers to allow them for cheating, copying and having answered checked by other students.

That is not new for me, I got used to hear and see it every year. One day before the exam day, I rode past the high schools in Phnom Penh, I saw many students gathered at the bookstores and kiosks to buy answer sheets that they expected to be able to copy from it. The copy of answer sheets had been smaller for easily concealing under their clothes and somewhere.

On the exam day, there were police and military police being deployed around building schools in order to make order and protect the students’ friends or relatives from lobbing answer sheets into the classroom.

Even though, the collection of money during the exam from students has become a usual habit and. All of these are the starting point of corruption that is teaching next generation to follow suit. How to clean up the irregularities and cheating during exam day?

Education system in Cambodia is still weaker than other countries in ASEAN. Government have to take into consideration on education development, education reform, education quality and so on.

Popularity: 9% [?]

One of 10 students awarded scholarship in Fulbright Fellowship Program 2008-09 to pursue his graduate degree in USA is a friend of mine (Sim Hoychhoung ). Before leaving home country and friends, I had dinner with him and other friends together on Monday.

He tries his best to pass this scholarship, as you know it is not easy to be awarded. He told me that before completing the application form, he spent nearly 30 times by fulfilling in step by step because it is hard to fill and complete it.

He got used to apply for many scholarships from different countries but unfortunately, he didn’t pass the test, especially in the last round. Now, he reached his goal. He left Cambodia on June 25, 2008 and he is going to have Master in Business Administration, Brandeis University

Popularity: 6% [?]

Moral and ethic education is very important for social welfare, if the decrease in social morality is to cause problem in the society such as violence, conflict, drug-use, school-drop out, crime, robbery and so on. Strengthening and expanding social morality education is a key factor for social happiness and life-style.

On the contrary, the current social morality is decreasing day by day, especially amongst youths, students. Losing morality is a losing of human being’s quality. At the present time, some students do not respect their teachers until threatening and beating teachers; it is like the case of teacher in Banteay Meanchey province.

(Photo: Khmer Daily newspaper, Reaksmey Kampuchea)

Prime Minister’s wife, Bun Rany, expressed her concerns over the decrease of the social actions by saying that:

Negative social actions, vices, and cases of rape - for example fathers raping their daughters, grandfathers raping their granddaughters - are on the increase. She stressed that this is really a problem. Such immoral acts were not part of the Cambodian time-honored tradition. She added that this is not a problem that we should ignore, it is a national issue. Some people understand that social developments make people act like that. She raised the question whether society leads the people, or whether people lead the society; whether people educate the society, or society educates the people. If the society leads the people, it means that it is a good society, but people may lead a good society to deteriorate. She continued to say that according to her idea, it is always some people who lead a society to deteriorate.

If a society is practicing high core of conducts, high social morality, therefore society will be no wars, no killing, no violence, no prejudices, no ill-treatment, no ill-will, no conflict, no exploitation of human, peaceful society and so on.

Popularity: 11% [?]

On Sunday evening, I joined the party called “The First Ever Youth Gathering Party” organized by the volunteer youths at Slek Toey Restaurant. The purposes of forming this network are to foster education outreach by procuring study materials to underprivileged kids and youths, to strengthen communication between teenagers, young children and other communities and to encourage young people to reflect on their ability to facilitate positive change.

Youth Network for Change was established since 2006 by seven youths, who are studying and working for non-governmental organization. There are many events such as camping event and trips in remote rural areas.

The sources of finance are coming from charitable donation, charity box, and T-shirt sales and so on. By the way, some money is given by contributors such as youths, students, and members.

The performance of kids from Orphanage in Kampong Speu province, they are living under funding from donor and charity donation.

That is the short performance which performed by Orphans, aging between 5 to 8.

The contest game is to find whether who are the prince and princess. Four persons were chose for competing.

It was time for all of us to dance together.

Popularity: 8% [?]