On October 2, Senate President Samdech Hun Sen wrote on his official Facebook page that he had heard Hun Manet say that day: "Failing in school is better than failing in life."
Hun Sen said that although this remark was used by Hun Manet to encourage students and university students, in his view it is not a simple slogan but a piece of advice that can guide young people over the long term and point them in the right direction.
Hun Sen wrote that, despite his long political career, he still considers the remark "never out of date" and of practical relevance. In his view, it is not terrible for the young to experience setbacks during their studies; what matters is being able to draw lessons from them and keep working hard.
That day, Hun Manet attended the graduation ceremony of Asia Euro University and presented diplomas to 2,573 graduates. In his address, he urged young people in particular to view the failures and setbacks they encounter in their studies in the right way.
Hun Manet said that doing badly in a school exam does not mean failing in life; students can still go back to their studies, sum up their experience and keep moving forward. By contrast, suffering a major setback on life's path may exact a far greater price.
At the same time, he encouraged the young to keep learning and build up their abilities, stressing the importance of both mastering professional knowledge and skills and developing good character, in preparation for entering society and the workplace in the future.