Nine proctors who monitored the national high school exit exam in August are to be punished—or at least reprimanded—by the Ministry of Education for having “committed mistakes” during the test.
The proctors’ offenses included “performing the job with a lack of responsibility,” the improper use of telephones within the exam rooms, the acceptance of a bribe from a test-taker and one case of allowing “another person to do their job,” according to a ministry statement issued on Tuesday.
It did not detail how the proctors would be penalized, but listed a range of possibilities, from a verbal reprimand to a demotion.
A 2014 reform of the exams, which were previously rife with cheating and bribery, saw the implementation of strict regulations and a steep drop in pass rates.
Since then, the ministry has threatened legal action against cheats, and the Anti-Corruption Unit has been charged with enforcement.
However, ACU chairman Om Yentieng said on Wednesday that the latest cases were the purview of Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron.
“He does the administrative discipline—it is his business,” he said.
The minister could not be reached.
