The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will launch a policy relating to the prevention and management of learner pregnancy in school.
Between April 2020 and March 2021, 23 226 teenage pregnancies were reported in Gauteng with 934 babies birthed by girls between the ages of 10 and 14-years-old.
Nearly 10 000 babies were delivered to young mothers in public health institutions in the city of Tshwane between July 2019 and June 2021.
The launch of the new policy will be conducted in the North West by the DBE Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo. The launch will also be attended by MEC for Health in the province Dr Madoda Sambatha.
“The DBE continues to strengthen its Policy Framework environment to promote health and wellbeing of learners in schools to enhance prevention of HIV, STI’s and EUP and the launch is taking place during the Pregnancy/Condom Week, which aims to encourage people to use condoms to prevent STI’s and pregnancy,” said the department.
The launch will be preceded by a March on “Anti-Unsafe Termination of Pregnancy“.
Last year the DBE introduced a new law that would require schools to report pregnancies of girls under the age of 16-years-old to the police if the men are older.
The new law, which will be implemented in January 2022 will require the investigation of the 934 births that took place in Gauteng. If the fathers of these babies are adults, they will be prosecuted.
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