02 Apr 2013

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development has put in place strategies to tackle teenage pregnancy in the school system, Parliament heard recently.

Assistant Minister Patrick Masimolole said such strategies included pastoral system and guidance and counselling programmes such as Peer Approach to Counselling by Teens; girls address or talks by female teachers; involvement of stakeholders like parents, health workers, police, social workers to talk on issues of sexuality and adolescence; Talk Back; and infusion of HIV/AIDS related issues in the lessons by teachers.

The assistant minister also indicated that 33 and nine primary school pupils fell pregnant in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

In secondary school, he said the number of students who fell pregnant stood at 452 and 730 for 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Mr Masimolole however explained that in many occasions, pupils were not always willing to disclose names, relationship or even occupation of the culprits.

He also said in most cases, those who fell pregnant would desert school and only shared information with their parents who then decided not to disclose it to the school in fear of action being taken against the potential father.

The assistant minister further indicated that in the few instances where information reached the school, some cases involved age-mates or the student protected the culprit and implicated a different person.

“In the event that the culprit was alleged to be an adult person in the employ of government, other than a teacher, the incident is reported to the supervising department to take action as per provision of Public Service Act No. 30 of 2008,” he added.

Where the culprit was a teacher, he said disciplinary action was taken by the ministry and if found guilty, the concerned teacher was dismissed from the education system. 

However, he said if the matter constituted suspected defilement, such cases were referred to social workers and reported to the police.

Kanye South MP, Mr Abram Kesupile had asked the minister to state the number of pupils or students who fell pregnant in primary, junior and senior secondary schools during the 2011 and 2012 school calendar years.

Mr Kesupile had also asked the minister the extent to which pupils were willing to reveal the culprits’ names, relationship or occupation.

He also wanted to know actions the schools were taking where culprits were alleged to be adults in the employ of government as well as the overall strategy in place to tackle teenage pregnancy in the school system. ENDS