Teen moms top 20 000

MORE than 20 000 schoolgirls, including about 2 500 in the Western Cape, fell pregnant last year.

The information was revealed in a response to a parliamentary question from the DA’s Sonja Boshoff to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.

A total of 20 116 secondary school pupils and 717 primary school pupils fell pregnant during the year.

Gauteng had the highest number of pregnancies – 5 209 high school pupils and 64 primary school pupils and the North West the lowest – 278 high school pupils and 14 primary school pupils.

Out of the Western Cape’s 2 516 pregnancies, 2 433 were high school children while 83 were girls in primary school.

Boshoff said it was concerning that the department didn’t know how many of the girls had returned to their schools after having their babies.

“Education is key to future success and without it, these young people will not have a fair chance at a better life.”

She said she would write to the chairman of the portfolio committee on basic education, Nomalungelo Gina, to summon Motshekga, for a parliamentary briefing on the department’s plans to discourage teenage pregnancy.

The department’s spokesman, Elijah Mhlanga, said it was unfortunate that the DA had chosen to politicise a matter that should be dealt with by society at large.

“The matter of pregnant learners is of huge concern to the department and we have structured programmes that educate learners about the impact of unsafe sex and pregnancy. Our curriculum provides for education in matters of sex and sexuality.”