Johannesburg - A question about baby rape in the matric drama exam will be excluded from the marking process, the basic education department said on Friday.
“The department of basic education does concede that parts of the question may have been perceived negatively by some learners, depending on their personal backgrounds,” it said in a statement.
This came after a meeting between the examining panel responsible for setting the drama paper, the internal moderator, Umalusi, and provincial education departments on Wednesday and Thursday.
From a sample of scripts marked, there was no compelling evidence confirming that the question “adversely affected” the pupils' answers, but the department still decided to request Umalusi to consider excluding the question.
“The department of basic education has submitted a formal request to the quality assurance council [Umalusi] to consider a concession, where parts of the question that may have been perceived as offensive by some learners be excluded from the marking process and the marking guideline be adjusted to accommodate this concession.
“Umalusi has granted approval and the marking process across the country in dramatic arts will be administered in accordance with this amendment.”
The compulsory question, based on Laura Foot Newton’s play “Tshepang”, required pupils to describe, using a broom handle and a loaf of bread, how child rape could be dramatically depicted on stage.
Sapa