CNI News
28 April 2025
The Ministry of Education has announced that the matriculation exam will be retaken after the earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 caused schools to collapse, catch fire, and destroy exam answer sheets.
This announcement has sparked controversies over whether or not students should be required to retake the matriculation exam.
Earthquake-affected students should not be asked to retake the matriculation exam because they have already suffered psychological and physical damage from the natural disaster, Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin, founder of the Yangon Watch, told CNI News.
“Earthquake-affected students should not be asked to retake the matriculation exam. They should have passed the exam. But those who should not pass will be included. Later, relevant entrance exams should be held. Having to retake this exam is a huge burden for these children, their parents, and for over 60,000 students." she said.
While seeing students who were sitting for the matriculation exam
On March 28, 2025, while examinations were being conducted at Mandalay University, a powerful earthquake destroyed the main building of Mandalay University.
The Myanmar Examinations Department announced that 376,956 answer sheets of 62,954 candidates from Kachin State, Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region and Nay Pyi Taw Council Area were destroyed in the fire.
Therefore, the Examination Department announced that students from regions and states damaged by the earthquake will be asked to retake the matriculation exam from June 16 to 21, without holidays.
If students from areas where exam papers were destroyed by the earthquake were allowed to pass the exam exceptionally, they should consider the children whose marks have not yet been released, chairman of the Arakan Front Party (AFP), Dr. Aye Maung told CNI News.
While rescue workers were working to rescue a collapsed employee housing complex due to the earthquake.
The Ministry of Information announced that the number of students who took the matriculation exam was 208,889 in the 2024-2025 academic year, including candidates from foreign examination departments.
The People's Pioneer Party (PPP) said that forcing students to retake the exam would create an unnecessary burden on the students and their parents, and teachers affected by the earthquake.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake centered in Sagaing, near Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28 killed around 4,000 people, injured more than 5,000, and left more than 100 missing. In addition, homes, schools, government offices, staff housing, hotels, religious buildings, and roads and bridges have been destroyed and are in urgent need of reconstruction.
