More than 60,000 high school students in Myanmar have been told they must retake their matriculation exams after their answer papers were destroyed in a March 28 earthquake fire at Mandalay University.
Nearly 380,000 answer papers from around 63,000 students from the Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Kachin State were incinerated at Mandalay University, the regime reported.
The regime’s Education Ministry on Tuesday said the exams would be held again in Sagaing, Mandalay and Naypyitaw in June.
The regional education offices would announce the lists of students affected, the ministry said.
Many students have criticized the exams, citing the short preparation time while many lost loved ones and their homes in the March 28 quake.
The regime said 46,944 students from Mandalay, 7,311 from Sagaing and 8,699 from Kachin State would be required to retake the exam.
A Facebook user said the regime should consider those who became homeless and lost everything, including their books, in the earthquake, calling for compassion.
“How can anyone prepare for the exam in such a short time?” the post asked. “For those dealing with trauma, it’s not the right time to retake the exam.”
People criticized the regime for prioritizing the exam over delivering aid and rehabilitation to earthquake victims in Mandalay, Sagaing and Naypyitaw.
The regime’s electricity departments have been distributing bills to Mandalay city residents that suffered some of the heaviest quake destruction.
The March 28 earthquake killed about 3,735 people and injured 5,108 while 120 are still missing. Mandalay reported the most deaths and destruction.
