EAST London school-girls account for 151 of over 5000 reported pregnancies from pupils across the Eastern Cape last year.
This according to statistics which were recently released by the provincial education department.
The statistics show that 5183 school girls were pregnant for the 2012 academic year.
The report shows that Libode had the highest number of pregnancies with 857 followed by Dutywa 481 followed and Lusikisiki with 422.
Towns with the least pregnancies included Qumbu with 49 followed by Cradock which reported 41 school-girl pregnancies last year.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department is concerned with the high numbers as school-girl pregnancies often leads to drop-outs.
In an effort to curtail the trend, Mtima said his department had previously engaged pupils in workshops which attempted to educate them on the consequences of sex as well as how to protect themselves from unwanted situations.
“We encourage guardians to do their part in keeping pupils in school and even if the child does indeed fall pregnant to try by all means to keep them in school ,” he said.
Education expert Dr Ken Alston said his worry was the pupil’s future after they gave birth, as many of them either voluntarily drop out or are removed from the school.
Researcher for the Public Service Accountability Monitor Zukiswa Kota said it is unconstitutional to expel a pupil on the grounds she is pregnant. Kota suggested that school policies relating to pregnancy needed to have a preventative and a progressive approach instead of focusing on punitive measures against school pupils. —
Pregnant girls abandon school
This according to statistics which were recently released by the provincial education department.
The statistics show that 5183 school girls were pregnant for the 2012 academic year.
The report shows that Libode had the highest number of pregnancies with 857 followed by Dutywa 481 followed and Lusikisiki with 422.
Towns with the least pregnancies included Qumbu with 49 followed by Cradock which reported 41 school-girl pregnancies last year.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department is concerned with the high numbers as school-girl pregnancies often leads to drop-outs.
In an effort to curtail the trend, Mtima said his department had previously engaged pupils in workshops which attempted to educate them on the consequences of sex as well as how to protect themselves from unwanted situations.
“We encourage guardians to do their part in keeping pupils in school and even if the child does indeed fall pregnant to try by all means to keep them in school ,” he said.
Education expert Dr Ken Alston said his worry was the pupil’s future after they gave birth, as many of them either voluntarily drop out or are removed from the school.
Researcher for the Public Service Accountability Monitor Zukiswa Kota said it is unconstitutional to expel a pupil on the grounds she is pregnant. Kota suggested that school policies relating to pregnancy needed to have a preventative and a progressive approach instead of focusing on punitive measures against school pupils. —
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