Candidates for the 2024–2025 high school diploma exam in the two border provinces affected by Thai military aggression from Thai forces will receive priority for registration at alternative locations.
Minister of Education, Youth, and Sport Hang Chuon Naron announced the new condition during the July 28 launch of the “Updating Institutional Structures and Promoting Officials within Public Educational Institutions” campaign.
He explained that due to the Thai military incursion, which forced evacuations in several provinces, the education ministry has postponed the high school diploma exam for the 2024–2025 academic year from August 18–19 to August 28–29. The ministry will offer special priority to displaced candidates from Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces.
Chuon Naron noted that the ongoing border conflict around 600 schools to date, impacting approximately 150,000 students and 6,500 teachers. The ministry has implemented strategies to support displaced students by relocating them to safe areas for continued education. This includes opening two-shift or three-shift classes depending on capacity, promoting self-learning and distributing textbooks. Distance learning will also be arranged wherever feasible.
“Regarding the high school diploma exam, we’ve rescheduled it to August 28–29 and are giving displaced students — especially from heavily affected Oddar Meanchey and moderately affected Preah Vihear — the option to register in any province, based on their situation. The ministry will provide all possible support, including organising the exams in safe locations. We will continue to assess the situation and set up exam centres accordingly, while also assisting candidates from the two affected provinces,” he said.
“Because these students have already suffered due to war, the ministry will not allow them to suffer again because of the exams. We may even consider measures to allow them to pass automatically,” he added.
