The Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) has been granted a court order instructing the South African Nursing Council (SANC) to postpone the Bridging Course examinations that were scheduled for 28 and 30 June 2017.

The Union welcomes the order as it will give learners an extra time to prepare while the Council concludes its investigations into the leaked exam papers.

Hospersa has been granted a court order effectively postponing the Council’s examinations of the Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses that were scheduled this week. 

The court order instructs the Council to postpone the examinations to 19 and 21 July 2017.  The Council previously communicated that the examinations had to be nullified due to a leaked exam question paper.  The decision was not well received by the learners as they would have had to re-write the examination with little time to prepare.

“Hospersa welcomes the court order instructing the Council to postpone these examinations.  We took a decision to take the matter to the high court as the best available avenue to stop these examinations from taking place this week, which would have given an unreasonable time for learners to prepare,” said Hospersa General Secretary Noel Desfontaines

“We understand the concerns of the students in re-writing an exam and the frustrations experienced during this debacle,” said Desfontaines.  “We also understand the Council’s concerns on ensuring the attainment of credible examination result and trust that the Council will complete its investigation and bring the culprits to book,” added Desfontaines.

“The court order’s decision will afford students an extra time to prepare and to engage with employers for study leave while the Council concludes its investigations,” concluded Desfontaines.

 

Issued by Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa