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How education and support can break the cycle and combat teenage pregnancy in South Africa

How education and support can break the cycle and combat teenage pregnancy in South Africa
Zeenat Sujee
By Zeenat Sujee
21 Jan 2025
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‘Child and teenage pregnancy has a ripple effect on young girls and their futures within society. Some of these girls are forced to drop out of school, which in turn increases the cycle of poverty as well as the stigmatisation that comes with it.’

At least 80 girls aged between 12 and 19 years old, gave birth on New Year’s Day this year. Poverty, lack of education, and lack of access to healthcare and contraception are a few of the root causes for the escalation of child and teenage pregnancies. In July 2024, Amnesty International released a report expressing the urgency for child and teenage pregnancy to be addressed. 

In this report, the executive director of Amnesty International, Shenilla Mohammed, is recorded to have said: “Child and teenage pregnancy has a ripple effect on young girls as well as their futures within society. Some of these girls are forced to drop out of school, which in turn increases the cycle of poverty as well as the stigmatisation that comes with it. Other factors such as gender inequality, gender-based violence (GBV), insufficient comprehensive sexuality education, substance abuse as well as poor access to contraceptives and healthcare all play a role.”

Amnesty International’s assessment of child and teenage pregnancy is correct. In 2022, Section27 assisted a learner, Lesego (not her real name), who attended a school in Mpumalanga. Lesego was impregnated by her teacher, who had sexual relationships with many girls at the school. The educator promised the girls money and a better life. Living in a poverty-stricken village in Mpumalanga, these promises by a teacher provided the girls with dreams for a better future. 

The educator lured them into a relationship and then impregnated them. The educator took advantage of the power play in his relationship with the girls. Lesego first fell pregnant in 2020. The teacher advised that she take rat poison to terminate the pregnancy. Out of fear of giving birth, she consumed the rat poison, risking her life. She stayed in the relationship and fell pregnant again in 2021. This time, she decided to keep the baby and was unable to complete matric.

Investigation


The South African Council of Educators conducted an investigation into the matter. In November 2024, after two years of investigation, and the educator appealing against the initial decision to dismiss him and strike him off the roll of educators, the council finalised the matter. The final decision was to strike the educator off the roll and place his name on the National Child Protection Register, regulated by the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. Part B of the register lists all persons who are unsuitable to work with children.

Lesego feared that she would be left without any financial support, once the educator was found guilty. The educator ought to be held accountable for the child and responsible for the child’s upbringing. Section27 successfully intervened to alleviate the financial burden on Lesego. The educator, unsurprisingly, denied the paternity of the child. The magistrate’s court granted a maintenance order against the educator, and the educator has complied with paying maintenance every month.

Lesego persevered. She returned to school and completed her matric. On 14 January 2025, she received her results — a Bachelor’s pass!

This is just one case in point. Although it was a struggle, Lesego was able to pave the way for herself and her child. She has an opportunity to build a future. However, hundreds of girls are left without a glimmer of hope, having no option but to drop out of school and secure unskilled work or rely on social welfare to support themselves and their babies. 

High dropout rates


Learner pregnancy contributes to the high dropout rates that are reported each year. The Department of Basic Education confirmed that from 1,222,851 learners who registered for Grade 1 in 2013, only 724,156 learners enrolled to write the matric exam in 2024. The dropout rates leave learners without an education to remain in a cycle of poverty and hopelessness. 

We cannot ignore the stigmatisation of teenage pregnancy, which has lasting and devastating effects. In May 2024, Eqinisweni Secondary School in Tembisa reported that four learners committed suicide by consuming rat poison. Three of the four learners were pregnant girls, and one learner was a boy, the boyfriend of one of the pregnant learners.

The scourge of child and teenage pregnancies is a multifaceted issue. All relevant stakeholders should prioritise and act in the best interests of children when dealing with the intensity of learner pregnancy. The responsibility to address learner pregnancy rests with various departments. This includes the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service (SAPS), principals, educators, school governing bodies and parents. The responsibilities include ensuring that pregnant learners are protected and given assistance and support as stipulated in the National Policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools, 2018 (Learner Pregnancy Policy). The impact of learner pregnancy demands immediate action.  

Educators must be well informed to ensure that the curriculum is completed and there is a smooth transition into school after the learner has given birth. Khampepe J in the of Head of Department, Department of Education, Free State Province v Welkom High School; Head of Department, Department of Education, Free State Province v Harmony High School (CCT 103/12) [2013] ZACC 25 at para 33 stated: “The manner in which public schools regulate learner pregnancies, and the manner in which members of the executive exercise their supervisory authority to ensure that public schools act lawfully and appropriately, are self-evidently matters of great import. 

Freedom from unfair discrimination


“On the one hand, the rights of pregnant learners to freedom from unfair discrimination and to receive education must be respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled. On the other hand, interactions between organs of state when discharging their obligations under the Bill of Rights must take place in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the relevant legislative framework.”

The Department of Health and the Department of Social Development have obligations in terms of the Learner Pregnancy Policy and constitutional and legislative mandates to promote and protect access to healthcare and social welfare respectively. Their respective mandate includes providing information regarding access to contraceptives at clinics, and termination of pregnancy. The Department of Social Development must provide psychosocial support to adolescents.

In a 2023 report, the Commission for Gender Equality recommended that strengthened intergovernmental relations, improved education and rights awareness programmes, curbing bullying and stigmatisation, as well as dedicated support for girl learners to transition back into school to complete the curriculum must be implemented to end the learner pregnancy crisis.

Learners’ rights to basic education and dignity must be protected and enhanced. The Basic Education Portfolio Committee’s commitment to prioritising learner pregnancy is welcomed. The Portfolio Committee emphasises the multifaceted nature and need to address learner pregnancy. All stakeholders, which include the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development, SAPS, principals, educators, school governing bodies and parents have a role to play in upholding the rights of learners. These obligations include accountability against alleged perpetrators, providing education and rights awareness workshops to learners, providing the requisite information on contraceptives and termination of pregnancy and support from parents, social workers, principals and educators. 

As the new school year commences, we should prioritise the need to protect girl learners and jointly take the necessary steps to curb child and teenage pregnancy. DM

Zeenat Sujee is the Head of the Education Rights Programme at SECTION27.

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