20 000 pregnant school children requires urgent DBE policy response

25 March 2015

A reply to a DA parliamentary question has revealed that 20 000 children in primary and secondary school fell pregnant last year.

I will write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, to summon the Basic Education Minister, Ms Angie Motshekga, for a parliamentary briefing on the Department's plans to discourage teenage pregnancy.

The most recent five-year strategic plan suggests that the DBE has started work on a pregnancy policy but there does not seem to be any urgency to implement it.

Family planning services, incentives to complete education before falling pregnant, and public education programmes to discourage intergenerational and unprotected sex all form part of these urgently required plans. 

What is of further concern is that the number of girls who return to school after having their babies is not known. 

Education is key to future success and without it, these young people will not have a fair chance at a better life.

Recent remarks by President Zuma that teenage mothers should be separated from their children and banished to Robben Island are irresponsible and offer no constructive contribution on how to tackle this issue.

The DBE would do well to emulate the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) which has developed a policy on Managing Pregnancy in Public Schools designed to ensure that pregnant learners complete their schooling.

The policy provides step-by-step guidelines to schools on how to manage learner pregnancy and the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved, including the learner, the learner's parents, the father, if the father is another learner, and the school. The Department treats pregnant learners sensitively with access to counselling by social workers and psychologists based in district offices.

The WCED also works with other departments such as Health and Social Development to provide appropriate support.

Teenage pregnancy is a serious problem in South Africa and must be constructively and comprehensively addressed. 

The DBE has a responsibility to the children of this country and should urgently institute plans aimed at decreasing the incidence of pregnancy in schools.

Text of the parliamentary reply:

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 433

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 27/02/2015

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/2015

433. Ms H S Boshoff (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(1) In respect of each specified province, what is the total number of learners in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools who fell pregnant (i) in the 2013-14 financial year and (ii) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) in respect of each specified province, how many of these learners in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have returned to school;

(3) in respect of each specified province, (a) which 10 (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools have recorded the highest number of pregnancies and (b) in each specified case what was the number of pregnancies in the (i) 2013-14 financial year and (ii) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(4) in respect of each specified province, how many pregnancy cases have been reported by schools to the SA Police Service due to sexual abuse or statutory rape (a) in the 2013-14 financial year and (b) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW509E

(1)  In respect of each specified province, what is the total number of learners in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools who fell pregnant (i) in the 2013-14 financial year and (ii) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

RESPONSE: Provided in table 1 below:

Table 1: Number of learners who fell pregnant, by province and grade

Source: Education Management Information System

*Note: DBE collects and reports data according to the calendar year, and not per financial year as it has been asked in the Parliamentary Question.

(2)    In respect of each specified province, how many of these learners in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have returned to school;

Reply: This information is currently not available. The Department does not collect data on pregnant learners that return to school.

(3)    In respect of each specified province, (a) which 10 (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools have recorded the highest number of pregnancies and (b) in each specified case what was the number of pregnancies in the (i) 2013-14 financial year and (ii) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

RESPONSE

3. The response is provided in Tables 2 and 3 below:

Table 2: Primary schools with the highest number of pregnant learners, by province

Source: Education Management Information System

Table 3: Primary schools with the highest number of pregnant learners, by province

Source: Education Management Information System

(4)    In respect of each specified province, how many pregnancy cases have been reported to the SA Police Service due to sexual abuse or statutory rape (a) in the 2013-14 financial year and (b) from 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?

RESPONSE

4. This information is currently not available. The Department does not collect data on reported cases of sexual abuse or statutory rape in both financial years. NW509E

ENDS

Statement issued by Sonja Boshoff MP, DA Member on Basic Education Portfolio Committee, March 25 2015

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