Fighting in every township of Karenni State has prevented the holding of the nationwide Grade 12 matriculation examinations from March 11-19.

Due to the absence of any operational exam centres, certain Karenni students aspiring to sit for the matriculation exams have opted to travel to the nearby southern Shan State. There were others who, despite being enlisted for the exam, were unable to participate due to displacement resulting from the war.

"I signed up to take the exam, but the conflict stopped me from going to the exam centre.

This year's curriculum is different, more like how they test in university exams, my teachers said”,

a war-displaced student currently taking refuge in the eastern part of Loikaw,” told Kantarawaddy Times.

Some of her friends connected to examination centres in southern Shan State, are now going to take the exam. The exams administered by the Junta’s education authorities have introduced changes to the new system, requiring students to tackle new curriculum and question formats.

According to the Junta-affiliated media outlets, a total of 128,801 students nationwide participated in the Myanmar literature subject on the first day of this year's matriculation exams.

In the previous year, four examination centers in Loikaw, Bawlakhe, Mese, and Hpasawng in Karenni State were operational, resulting in 921 students taking the matriculation exam.

Currently, under the full-scale implementation of 'Operation 1111,' all administrative functions of the Junta in Loikaw, the capital of  Karenni State, have come to a standstill, while resistance movements are intensifying nationwide.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education under the Junta reports that in northern Shan State, where conflicts had escalated this year, over half of the registered students for the exam were absent from actually taking it.