Johannesburg - A pregnant 17-year-old matric pupil braved ‘excruciating’ labour pains to complete her maths literacy exam at a Gauteng school, the provincial department of education said on Friday.
In another separate incident, a matric pupil was shot dead at his Bramfischerville home during a botched armed robbery on Friday morning.
In Tsakane, the matric pupil started experiencing labour pains during her exam as she sat in the main exam writing centre. Teachers later moved her to finish her exam at a separate office, where she went on to finish her examination, the department said.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said teachers who were monitoring the exam removed the pupil from the main exam venue and she completed her exam under watch, in a separate office.
“A 17-year-old Grade 12 girl learner from a secondary school in Tsakane was this morning speedily whisked away by paramedics after ignoring labour pains to complete her exam.
“The learner started experiencing contractions while writing in the main exam room. After refusing to leave the exam centre for medical intervention, she was subsequently moved to a private office where she continued to write under excruciating labour pains,” Mabona explained.
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He said when paramedics arrived at the school, they had to wait about 30 minutes for the pupil to finish her maths literacy exam.
“She was then taken to a local hospital, where she received the necessary medical attention and gave birth,” said Mabona.
He said the department would ensure she wrote her remaining examinations.
“From our perspective, young people should delay their first sexual experiences. It is not our wish that they give birth while still at school because the responsibility of parenthood impacts negatively on their ability to continue with their studies.
“Policy allows learners to stay at school while pregnant and return after giving birth,” Mabona said.
He said the department had several programmes which discouraged pupils from engaging in sexual intercourse, including in the syllabus through life orientation.
“We have awareness campaigns that include the doll project in high risk schools as well as mother-daughter dialogues which help teenagers and mothers to talk more openly about issues of sexuality,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said he was saddened by the death of a matric pupil from Dobsonville’s George Khosa Secondary School, who was shot dead at home on Friday morning.
Information available to the department suggests he was killed during a botched armed robbery at his Braamfischerville home.
It is believed that he tried to fight back when intruders invaded his home, leading to them shooting him dead at close range.
No arrests have been made.
Lesufi sent his condolences to the family of the deceased.
“May they find comfort in knowing that we too share their pain. Furthermore, we strongly condemn senseless acts of violence which threaten the safety of our learners in and around our schooling environment, robbing them of their future,” said Lesufi.