Baby rape exam question dropped
Matric drama paper question dropped from exam memo
THE controversial matric drama question which caused outrage amongst parents, teachers and pupils, will be excluded from the paper, spokesperson for the Department of Education Elijah Mhlanga said on Thursday.
Moderators marked a sample of scripts and decided to exclude the question ‘so as not to disadvantage pupils’ Mhlanga said.
‘We decided the best interests of the pupils were more important than anything else and the department does concede that parts of the question may have been perceived negatively by some learners, depending on their personal backgrounds.’
This decision came after a meeting between the examining panel responsible for setting the drama paper, the internal moderator, Umalusi and provincial education departments.
27 NOVEMBER 2013
Drama about drama paper
A QUESTION in the national matric drama exam paper written on Monday, has shocked and horrified parents, pupils and teachers across Zululand and the country.
Matric drama students sitting for their final exam were asked in a compulsory question to describe the symbolic rape of a baby using a broomstick and a loaf of bread.
The question related to the Lara Foots play Tshepang which was inspired by the rape of a 9-month-old baby, known as ‘Baby Tshepang’, by her mother’s boyfriend in Upington in the Northern Cape.
“He (the character named Simon) acts out the rape, using a broomstick and loaf of bread’ was the extract with stage directions given to the students. They were then asked to describe how they would get Simon to perform this to ‘maximise the horror of the rape’
Pupils, parents and teachers said on Tuesday they were horrified about the question and have complained to the Department of Education.
A letter has been written to the department asking them to award every drama pupil the 15 marks allocated to the question.
The general consensus amongst teachers, pupils, parents and gender activists is that the question is to graphic for high school pupils.
A Zululand drama teacher said, ‘The question was poorly worded and was open to misconception.’
He did however add that the content did incorporate the technical aspects of drama, which include technique, directing technique and staging.
A parent of a local matric pupil said she and her daughter worked through the play and while the content is relevant and enriching, a different extract should have been used.
‘The choice of the line used was inappropriate and would have been better suited for a university exam.’
On Tuesday night Foot told reporters she found the question ‘problematic’. As it was presented, it indicated a misunderstanding on the part of the person who set it.
‘I would really like to know what the proposed correct answer is.’
The question had missed her ‘stylistic choices’, Foot said.
Concerned parents and organisations were of the opinion that the question assumed that by asking the pupils to depict such a thing, they have seen this happen. It is also seen as being incredibly insensitive to the thousands of children who are being sexually abused daily.
A senior Department of Education official said the issue would have been raised at a meeting in Pretoria yesterday (Wednesday) where the marking of the paper would be analysed and discussed.
Totally insensitive to the needs of our children!!!
I agree – quote “I would really like to know what the proposed correct answer is”?
I would’ve have hated a question like this when I was a teenager. It would have upset me & stayed with me for a long time. I think it’s totally unnecessary to have included this question.
I think this is disgusting. .. they could have used any other example .WHY must it be a baby?? Its sick… you dont want kids thinking of stuff like this. And yes I would also want to know what the correct answer would have been.
Investigate the examinator, “what the mind is full of will flow to the outside of the human”
What a sickning Questin don’t forget some of those matric has been rape and never came forward with it because they are still dealing with it Come on Department of Educasion where is your morals nobody wants to take a loaf of bread and a broomstick this is mind abuse and to forse students to do it for a matric result how revolting
My view is an ill-conceived attempt by a misguided official, aiming perhaps, to try to instill horror in young minds. Apart from instilling revulsion at these inhumane acts, it seems to me, a more likely result will be that perverted behaviours may begin be viewed as “normal” by some. We could be encouraging a generation with the mindset of serial offenders.
Words fail me. As an educator I am absolutely disgusted.
It is so disturbing especially during the time when we just started the actism againt women and children abuse.
What does it got to do with schoolwork…even if it is for drama!! Its a sick subject to choose from….this is a criminology subject!!!!
Sick. Sick.! These govt. people are sick.
Completely and utterly horrifying. This subject should be aired by news media as the atrocity that it is, not given legitimacy by a government organization by asking teenagers to explore it!
I agree that this is a real sick and twisted question, BUT, the damage has already been done!!!!
It seems this is the MO of government. Do as they please and then afterwards try and say sorry or cover it up. But the fact remains, this should not have been in there in the first place!!! FFS!