Sittwe: The military government announced yesterday the results of the matriculation exam for the 2007 – 08 school year, but 80 percent of students in Arakan State failed the exam, said an education worker in Sittwe.

He said, "No more than 20 percent of students in Arakan State passed the exam, and 80 percent failed this last matriculation exam."

According to the announcement of the education board on the exam results, in Mrauk U Township 1,290 students – 727 males and 563 females – participated in the exam, but only 246 students passed. Of those, 120 are male and 126 are female, adding up to just 17.1 percent of the total examinees.

In Kyauktaw Township, located on the upper Kaladan River, there were 1,775 students – 914 males and 861 females – participated in the exam. Of those, 185 males and 156 females passed, 17.7 percent of the examinees.

In Minbya Township on the upper Laymyo River, there were 1,011 examinees, 551 males and 460 females. Just 203 students, 109 males and 94 females, passed the exam, or 10.1 percent.

In Maungdaw Township in western Burma, there were 1,470 students that took the exams – 1,119 males and 351 females. Only 207 students, 136 males and 94 females passed the exam, 17.7 percent of examinees.

In Buthidaung Township, there were 1,429 examinees, 951 male and 478 female, but only 341 students passed. Of those, 117 are male and 59 are female, adding up to 12.7 percent of the total test takers.

In Paletwa Township in southern Chin State, there were 1,372 students – 796 males and 576 females – that took the exam. Only 133 students, 75 males and 58 females passed, or 9.8 percent of the total.

The results of the exam in other townships, including Sittwe, Kyaukpru, and Thandwe have not been received yet. In Arakan State there are 17 townships, and the aforementioned three are known to offer better educations than other townships in Arakan State.

Source: narinjara