IN the past 10 years Basic Education High School (1) in Dagon township has gained a reputation for producing large numbers of top-quality medical students, largely because of its being successful in preparing students for the matriculation exam, said the school’s principal, U Kyaw Kyaw.

“My students are not worried about the exam because they take a number of pre-exams starting three months in advance, which duplicate the time and format of the actual test,” he said.

Nearly 800 matriculation students each year sit for pre-examinations once a week so that they become familiar with what they will face and will not be unpleasantly surprised by the real test, he said.

Each week the matriculation teachers check the pre-exams and inform U Kyaw Kyaw about subjects in which the students are particularly weak so they can focus more attention on those areas.

“We know this approach works because our school has a pass rate of more than 90 per cent, and many of our students qualify to enter medical institutes,” U Kyaw Kyaw said.

In addition to organising pre-exams, U Kyaw Kyaw also invites academics from the University of Yangon and University of Education to the school each month to provide special coaching sessions for matriculation students.

“The academics have experience in preparing for exams so they can explain to the students how to avoid the mistakes that can result in low marks,” he said.

BEHS (1) Dagon has more than 6000 students from grades one to 11 and more than 170 faculty members. One-half of the school’s 46 classrooms are equipped with closed-circuit televisions that are used to teach students in grades 10 and 11 and to provide them with health and other information.

The school also has extensive computer facilities, which are funded by the Parents and Teachers Association, as well as VCD players for the use of students.

“The VCD players are purely for entertainment – students bring VCDs to school and watch them during their lunch break,” said U Kyaw Kyaw. “It keeps them happy, and it’s one of the reasons we have such a low dropout rate.”

The principal also attributes much of the school’s success to the strict discipline he enforces, which he said encourages students to focus on their studies and teachers to concentrate on their jobs.

“I installed cameras in the hallways so I can keep an eye on teachers and students,” U Kyaw Kyaw said. “If I see someone walking around for no apparent reason during school hours, I immediately call them into my office to find out why.”