GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - In 2020, a total of 33 899 births to mothers 17 years and younger were reported in South Africa, including late registrations. More than 600 children aged 10 to 13 years gave birth - 499 gave birth in 2020 and the others were late registrations, according to Statistics South Africa.

According to the National Basic Education Department, about 120 000 learners fall pregnant every year and only a third return to school after giving birth.

In the Western Cape, the education department's annual school survey shows that more than 2 000 learners fall pregnant at schools in the province each year. In 2017 it was 2 208, in 2018 - 2 159, and in 2019 - 2 283 (2020 assessment). 

Departmental spokesperson Bronagh Hammond says the statistics for 2020 will only become available once the 2021 survey is completed, however, according to the figures for the period April 2020 to July 2020, the learner pregnancies reported were 547.

Support to learners

Pregnant learners do receive support from specialised support teams of the education department. They provide psychosocial support and try to ensure that the learners return to school after the delivery of the baby.

Prevention programmes are also offered. "Sexual education in schools is focused on prevention and making the right choices. Many of our interventions have changed the focus from merely providing information on pregnancy prevention to teaching and discussing values with both female and male learners. 

The focus is rather on intervention through addressing wider issues that might impact on teenage pregnancies such as drug abuse, bullying, self-esteem enhancement and decisionmaking skills," says Hammond.

"The importance of providing children with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values regarding their sexuality and the accompanying social responsibilities in especially the learning area of life orientation, cannot be over-emphasised. The principle that it is best for learners to abstain from sexual activity should be stressed. Educators emphasising the importance of good moral values should be the backbone of sexual education."

No info on fathers

According to Stats SA there is no reliable information on fathers because more than 60% of births registered did not have details of fathers. Section 10 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act prohibited unmarried fathers to have their information on the birth certificate of a child, which contributes to the high number of births with no information on fathers. This is expected to change in the coming years as in September 2021, the Constitutional Court ruled that this section of the act is unconstitutional. 

This means unmarried fathers can now have their information registered on the birth certificate of their children at the Department of Home Affairs.

Figures of teen pregnancies for the Garden Route district as supplied by the Western Cape Health Department.

Statement by Western Cape Health Department:

Western Cape Health district spokesperson Nadia Ferreira says family planning is available free of charge at all public health care facilities and at the cost of a consultation at select pharmacies and private health practitioners who are in partnership with the department.

"All women above the age of 12 years are able to access family planning services. Counselling services form part of the comprehensive health package of services offered at primary health care facilities. The department also collaborates with supportive partners in the community who provide specialised counselling as part of their service."

She says it is important to consider why the teenager has fallen pregnant. 

"Could it be that she is trapped in a cycle of abuse, perhaps without really understanding it as such. Blessers, peer pressure, compromised education systems, disrupted family units and role models, social and other forms of media all contribute."

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