A 15-year-old Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate from Nyagli Junior High School in the Upper West Region was rushed to the hospital on Friday morning, June 13, 2025, after she went into labour while writing her first paper.
The dramatic incident occurred at the Wa Senior High School Examination Centre in the Upper West Regional capital, Wa, during the Science paper — the first subject scheduled for the day.
According to school authorities, the young expectant mother, whose name has been withheld for privacy reasons, began experiencing severe contractions just minutes into the exam. She was quickly attended to and rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
Confirming the incident in an interview with 3news.com, the Headmistress of Nyagli Junior High School, Madam Asheeka Latif, said she had interacted with all the candidates early in the morning before the start of the examination. She noted that the pregnant candidate did not initially show signs of distress during their pre-exam engagement.
“Just a few minutes after the exam started, I was called by the supervisors that one of my students wasn’t feeling well. When I arrived, I noticed she was in pain and clearly in labour, so we quickly took her to the hospital,” Madam Asheeka explained.
She further indicated that the student was still in the early stages of labour as of Friday morning and remained under close monitoring by medical personnel.
When questioned about arrangements for the affected student’s examination, the headmistress revealed that the school, in consultation with the examination supervisors, was exploring the possibility of having the Science paper sent to the hospital to allow the candidate to complete it, provided she is medically stable.
“Now that she has not yet delivered and is still in the hospital, we are arranging with the exam supervisors for the paper to be sent to her. That is, if she’s in the right state of mind and physically capable of writing,” she said.
Madam Asheeka expressed hope that the student would be able to return to the exam centre by Monday to write the remaining papers once she has delivered safely.
“We are optimistic that if she delivers today or by the close of the weekend, she will be able to join her colleagues for the rest of the examinations,” she added.
The incident has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with some expressing concern over the growing cases of teenage pregnancy in schools, particularly in rural communities, and its impact on education.
This year’s BECE began on Monday, June 10, and is expected to end on Friday, June 14, 2025. Thousands of candidates across the country are participating in the crucial examination, which marks the transition from junior high school to senior high school.
