Pregnant Student Barred From Writing WASSCE

A student (name withheld) of the Lawra Senior High School has been prevented from writing the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSE). She was found to be pregnant, and the decision of the school authorities is to serve as a deterrent to other students in the school. Pleas by the parents to consider the poor girl and allow her to write the exams has not yielded positive results, as the invigilators have threatened to boycott the supervision if the pregnant student is allowed to write the exams. The Headmaster of the Lawra Senior High School, Mr. Poviel, declined to comment on the issue, and directed this reporter to the Regional Education Directorate. When The Chronicle also contacted the Regional Education Director, Mr. Iddrisu Mahama, he said the pregnant student, who happens to be the niece of the Headmaster, was withdrawn from Daffiama Senior High School and admitted at the Lawra Senior High School when she became pregnant. Mr. Mahama said the report by the Headmaster indicated that the pregnant student was advised to stay at home to deliver and take care of the child, which she obliged, but was compelled to return to the school, upon realising that her mates were about to write their final year exams, but the school authorities said no, because they wanted to use her case as a deterrent to other students in the school. She was also refused on the basis that she did not write her first and second term examinations, which showed that her continuous assessment was empty, and therefore, she could not be allowed to write the final exams. �If she is given the opportunity to write, others would take that opportunity to become pregnant in the school, and there would not be discipline in the second cycle institutions,� the report indicated.