Over eight thousandstudents sat for matriculation examinations under  the new system inRakhine State, while more than ten thousand were absent due to arm conflicts in Rakhine state.

According to themilitary junta's Myanmar Alin newspaper, a total of 18,206 students of RakhineState registered their names for the important examination. However, only 8,534students sat for the 10^th standard examination under the 2023-2024academic year, said the 12 March issue newspaper.

In 2022, 41,753 students sat for the said examinationacross Rakhine State. This time the number of participants reduced to almostone fifth of examinees.

A Sittwe resident  informed Narinjara News that a small number of students from the urban areas sat for the examination.They were hardly 10 percent of the participating students from other townshipslike Rathedaung, Minbya, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Pauktaw.

 "A year ago, both BEHS-4 and BEHS-2 werefilled with students taking the examination. Now, it’s very low in number. Nostudents arrived at the Myint Gar examination center of Pauktaw. The number ofstudents coming from Pauktaw was very limited. Most of the rural students arenow sitting the examination at Sittwe University," added the resident.

Every year, thematriculation examination is conducted in more than  120 centers ofRakhine State. This year, only  69 examination centers were used. Innorthern Rakhine localities, the examination is conducted in Sittwe only,whereas in the southern part, the examinations are being held in Taungup,Thandwe, Gwa, Munaung, Ann, and Kyaukphyu townships.

According to themilitary junta, a total of 146,523 students registered their names for the2023-2024 academic year examination. Altogether 794 examination centers in 285townships of  114 districts were readied for purpose, but only 128,801students attended the examination.

In the 2022-23 academic year, nearly 160,000 studentssat for the examination, but this year the number has decreased to 120,000 only.