Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said the law allows pregnant learners to write exams in hospital. File Picture
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga says hundreds of pregnant learners have been writing their Matric examinations in hospital in the past four years.
Motshekga said there were provisions which allow learners who are not able to write exams in school to write their papers from a hospital bed.
This was granted under exceptional circumstances.
She said approval must be sought from those who are handling exams at provincial level.
Motshekga said in 2020 there were 85 pregnant and other sick learners who wrote their exams from hospital.
In 2021, this number increased to 140 learners. The minister said in 2022 there were 150 pregnant and other sick learners who wrote exams from hospital, and last year the number increased to 209.
“The Regulations Pertaining to the Conduct, Administration and Management of the National Senior Certificate Examinations makes provision for learners who are ill or confronted with any other circumstance beyond the candidate’s control, that prevents them from writing the examination, to be allowed to write the next examination.
“However, in exceptional cases, provision is also made for the writing of examinations in hospital. This is to accommodate girl learners who are pregnant or learners who are unwell and admitted to hospital, but are capable enough to write the examination.
“Such a learner and the parent will submit a formal request to the Head of Examinations in the province, to write the examination in hospital. The application must be submitted with a report from the medical practitioner attending to the learner, confirming that the learner is in a state of health to write the examination and that the learner cope with the stress of the examination,” said Motshekga.
She was replying to a written parliamentary question from Democratic Alliance (DA) member Samantha Graham.
She said after the head of exams has given the go-ahead for a learner to write an exam in hospital, an invigilator will be appointed from the district office.
She said the venue must be isolated from other patients and there must be strict security.
Motshekga said the invigilator will collect the papers after the exam and hand them over to the district office.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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