Pregnant Examination Candidates

General examination is here again with its attendant challenges. Pregnant candidates are gradually becoming a regular feature of our examinations. The Shama District in the Western has become centre of a pregnancy issue in this year's Basic Examination. A female student was not allowed to write some of the  core papers on the first day because she was pregnant. That was how the media presented the issue, creating the impression that pregnancy disqualifies a candidate. 

This is not the first time such an issue has occurred; the last few academic years have seen pregnant teenagers, some clearly showing, writing their examination without any hassle from school authorities. Clearly, the issues involved in allowing a pregnant candidate to write examination are academic, not merely moral and/or humanitarian, as some in our communities attempt to project.

To rectify the Shama situation, the Education Director has intervened and instructed that the girl be allowed to write the subsequent papers. However, the issue is not as simple as that, and the Director ought to be the first to know that. Starting on the premise that candidates are tested on cumulative information imparted to them, over a prescribed period, through structured theoretical and practical approaches, authenticated by periodic assessment and cumulative marks scored, a candidate's qualification for a particular examination would be based upon his/her satisfying, at least, certain minimum requirements of the conditions stated above.

Of course, satisfying teaching/learning requirements is a shared responsibility between teachers/school authorities, children/parents and their respective communities. Any humanitarian gesture regarding examination in such situations as the Shama one must be pragmatically balanced by the fulfillment of pre-examination teaching/learning conditions. Consequently, if the Director's decision was weighed academically, would it stand?

Already, the information has come that the girl in question did not attend school for five months, despite efforts by school authorities, apparently, due to shyness. So how much has this candidate learnt and how prepared is she for this examination? Can she really cope? Even though she would write, and even if a supplementary examination was organized for her to cover the ones she missed on the first day, could she, parents, the school and District really look forward to an appreciable result? Is the inclusion of this candidate in the examination justified?

One can appreciate the humanitarian gesture of the Director, considering the cost incurred by parents and the nation's investment in this school child. However, benevolence is not the solution here. In fact, the gesture will precipitate a number of disasters, the most obvious of which is the high probability of the candidate's failure. The gesture encourages learner's irresponsibility. Pupils are not penalized by truancy; willful protracted absenteeism is accommodated by school authorities. The discipline inculcated through regulated school attendance, diligent studies has been painfully compromised. Above all, the fundamental natural rule of choices and consequences has not been enforced. How is this girl being helped to make the right choices in life? She has already made one abysmal choice. Will she learn from her mistake?

Sometimes, enforcing discipline is the kindest gesture, the stimulant for logic, responsibility and objectivity in an individual. If the youth would grow and become human assets and not social liability, society must guide them through care, attention and gentle correction.  Effective discipline is a necessary part of human nurturing. Teaching children to respect rules by obeying them is a disciplinary path that must be followed, especially, by parents and stakeholders of education. I label the gesture of the Director as misplaced kindness, though I can understand his reason. Teach, correct and discipline children by allowing some consequences of willful disobedience. Sometimes, lessons learned the hard way yield mature and responsible individuals, the joy of every parent, teacher, friend and neighbour.