The Battle of Grades: When Failure is Only Romantic on the Screen
Photo [Phnom Penh students who completed the Bac II exam last August. Thenh Rithy]
-Opinion-
On August 28, 2025, thousands of students were anxiously awaiting their Bac II exam results. Some hoped for an A, B or C, while others simply wished to pass. When the results were released by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and schools, social media feeds were filled with pure joy as parents, teachers and friends shared congratulations on Facebook and TikTok. Yet, many students and families were left in tears of disappointment.
We celebrate the success of those who achieved their goals while also acknowledging the pain of those who did not. However, two controversial questions are fundamentally raised, “Why Failure is Only Romantic on the Screen? Can the battle of grades between Bac II students determine their future?”
A proud moment for the successful candidates
We sincerely congratulate those who accomplished A and B grades. They may seem like simple letters to outsiders, but to students, it is a symbol of sacrifice, unwavering late-night studying and commitment. Without hard work, resilience and dedication in learning, these results might not be achievable. This is a reminder to the next generation that, “Hard work really pays off!”
Unsurprisingly, in recognition of their achievements, many public and private institutions provide full scholarships for those who earned grade As and partial scholarships for those who got Bs or Cs, while D and E students have fewer scholarship options.
This has negative impact on those who earn lower grades since many of them also demonstrated their full commitment to learning, but received less chances to pursue higher education. When students are treated differently regardless of their backgrounds or socioeconomic conditions, it creates a societal gap in terms of learning opportunities.
We urge key stakeholders to reconsider inclusive pathways or scholarship policies for those who got lower grades because we don’t want the scholarship system to leave low achievers and unsuccessful students behind because of a single examination.
When failure is only romantic on the screen
The Bac II exam reveals two major dilemmas: (1) students who passed celebrated as if they had won the lottery, while (2) those who failed were left in immediate despair. Social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok amplified this divide, showcasing both public praise and harsh shame. Our observation shows that students’ names with an ‘F’ were not only excluded from education ministry platforms but also lacked mentoring and guidance, as failure is often treated as a personal flaw rather than a call for support.
As educators, we regard this as a real dilemma, not a romantic tale, like Jack and Rose’s ill-fated journey in the movie Titanic. Rather, it reveals how we still lack the mechanisms to support failed students with alternative solutions under the stream of populism and market-driven trends, despite the possibility of their true potential being hidden beyond what the qualification of national exam results can define.
As Mr. Sem Sinet highlighted in a previous Op-Ed, Grade 10 and 11 students have shown curiosity and creativity by launching entrepreneurial ideas, building robots, joining competitions and leading community projects. Some advanced into professional photography, while others are promising future engineers, through start-up challenges. This Op-ed noted that the BaccII exam is not the only option forwards, yet it continues to leave thousands of failed students each year with little more than conventional and romanticised messages.
We wonder whether this hurricane-like event reflects the harsh rule of “survival of the fittest”, which only the strongest and flexible beings (qualification students under the Bac II exam) will survive with a better life as argued by Darwinian theory, or whether it is truly a necessary measure.
The second author of this Op-ed recently framed this situation as a national issue, one in which we have collectively created unfair elements within the system and continue to support it without proper scrutiny.
It appeared through the grade competition in which those who received an ‘F’ were forgotten by the eyes of the public, while those who received ‘As, Bs or Cs, only slightly different marks, were awarded varying distinctions. This educational system contextualises all students within a one-size-fits-all standard within the national exam, ignoring their different circumstances, passions, opportunities and the ways in which their twelve years of studies were shaped by distinctly unequal life pathways.
What actually defines one’s future?
As the second author mentioned in his recent Op-ed, those who believe that grades alone cannot define a student’s fate are being unrealistic, narrowing their understanding into an idealistic perspective.
In reality, the higher the grades a student achieve, the greater the practical opportunities they will meet, while the lower grades they get, the fewer opportunities they receive. Evidentially, those who received an ‘F’ are left with only three choices: (1) to pursue an associate degree, (2) to discontinue their studies and seek alternative skills, or (3) to return to grade 12 and retake the exam the following year, either through regular enrolment or the Svayrin programme.
With the influence of neoliberal systems, the Bac II system also reflects the rule of the zero-sum game, the battle of grade competition where one side inevitably loses in the ring while the other undoubtedly wins. For students who fail, the essence of this zero-sum game is revealed through experiences of neglect without sufficient support mechanisms, a shameful culture of comparison that ignores their backgrounds, social discrimination and family status that overlooks their vast potential. By contrast, its essence appears in the form of elevated social status for those who achieve higher grades or at the very least, for those who simply pass the exam.
Unless the curriculum and examination system are revised to offer better, more realistic alternatives for determining their future, students will always have to prepare for a battle of competition. We recognise that life has different stages and definitions of success. However, in a world shaped by mass culture and global competition and within an education system slow to change, and an individual’s fate is difficult to define beyond this horizon. Therefore, success at this stage remains crucial for the next.
A message to those who were unsuccessful in Bac II
Former US President Barack Obama once said, “When you fail, it doesn’t mean you are weak or not smart, it means you need more time to work on it”.
This reminds us that failure is not a verdict but feedback to help us move forward. A two-day examination does not define your ability or potential; it simply reflects your current stage of learning. Although failure is painful, it is a wake-up call for you to work harder, accept the result and rearrange your plans instead of blaming yourself. Remember, “When plan A doesn’t work, you can focus on plan B, C, or even plan Z”.
Many influential people have failed before succeeding. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, failed his college entrance exam twice and was rejected for more than ten jobs including one at KFC, yet he went on to become a billionaire. Similarly, an actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once said, “When life puts you in a difficult situation, don’t say, ‘Why me?’— say, ‘Try me!’” His words remind us to face obstacles with courage, for after every storm, the sun will rise again.
It is devastating to go through this kind of hardship, but you have to keep going for yourself and your future. If you don’t know what to do now, just start small by trying to learn a language, register in a vocational course, or volunteer in a place where you can learn and grow. By doing these things, you will gradually regain your motivation and move forward.
Stakeholders, especially the education ministry, should establish a mentoring network that engages closely with these students, providing advice and support not only to them but also to their families and school communities. Moreover, we agree with Sem Sinet’s Op-ed that the school curriculum should be reconsidered and reoriented to address real-world issues. In this way, schools will become spaces that cultivate students’ practical potential, where the national exam is no longer the sole measure of their future.
Once again, as educators, we recognise that all forms of assessment have their distinct values. However, we must also examine their flaws and have the courage to reestablish a system which is based on a non-zero-sum game or a win-win policy.
Kon Veasna earned a Master’s Degree of Education in Mentoring from the New Generation Pedagogical Research Center of National Institute of Education, Phnom Penh, and works as a state teacher of English in Siem Reap province. Meak Loemheak holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), and works as a state high school teacher, specialising in Morality and Civics. The views and opinions expressed are the authors’ own.
-The Phnom Penh Post-
