Johannesburg – The Department of Basic Education’s policy on the prevention and management of pupils’ pregnancy in school is likely to hit a snag with teacher unions divided on the subject.
The department introduced the policy as a key strategy to deal with soaring levels of underage pupils falling pregnant and to fight statutory rape.
Among others, it compels teachers and school governing bodies to report the pregnancies of pupils under the age of 16 to the nearest police station in cases where the father is older than 16 years.
The department believes this move will reduce teenage pregnancies and keep pupils in the class.
But the National Teachers Union (Natu) said the policy was unimplementable and would put teachers in danger.
“Teachers are not social workers or nurses who can identify learners who are pregnant. Some people naturally have large tummies, and as a teacher, you wouldn’t tell whether the learner is pregnant.
“Teachers will be accused of stigmatising learners. While the policy is good, we fear that it will lead to unintended consequences of teachers being attacked at school,” Natu general secretary Cynthia Barnes told Sunday World.
Barnes said there were situations where despite the pregnant pupil being younger than the partner, families had met and agreed to pay lobola or damages.
The policy requires teachers to provide psychological support, counselling, and advice to these pupils.
“Teachers will be viewed as interfering and will be targeted. Teachers are reporting these fears to us. We, therefore, believe that nurses and social workers should be deployed to schools to deal with these cases.”
Last year, Gauteng MEC for health Nomathemba Mokgethi revealed that 23 226 teenagers fell pregnant during the period March 2020-April 2021, 934 babies were delivered by girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years while 19 316 babies were delivered by girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said the policy was a step in the right direction.
“Our view is that this policy should be supported as it seeks to fight against the scourge of statutory rape. Besides, it has always been the law that schools should report underage pregnancies,” said Mugwena Maluleke, Sadtu’s secretary.
The pregnancy policy is expected to be implemented when schools reopen next week.
Childline SA supported the call for social workers to be dispatched to schools.
“We have long been calling for police to hunt down those who are responsible for impregnating underage learners because it is a sexual crime and gross violation of the rights of a child,” said Childline CEO Dumisile Nala.
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