‘They’re babies having babies’

FRIDAY MARCH 31 2017 THE Parents Association of KwaZulu-Natal has described as alarming the number of grade 3, 4 and 5 pupils who have fallen pregnant in the past three years.

This comes after the Department of Basic Education released figures that revealed at least 193 pupils in grades 3, 4, and 5 were pregnant across the country between 2014 and 2016.

It was responding to questions asked in Parliament by the DA.

The figures for 2016 were incomplete as KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga were not included in the figures. If grade 6 and 7 pupils are added, then the figure shoots up to 1 449.

Vee Gani of the Parents Association of KwaZulu-Natal said: “It is sad and sickening when you hear of this. It takes a village to raise a child but now you have to protect your child from the village.”

Gani said the figures were alarming and he said it was important to look at the background of the children as this could also be be a telling factor in why they became pregnant.

“They are babies and can’t even care for themselves. It is babies having babies. It reflects on us as a society and how low we have stooped.”

He said the children had lost the innocence of childhood.

It was very important to ensure that children did not fall through the cracks and received the support they needed so they were able to go back to school.

DA MP Sonja Boshoff said she feared that those pupils who fell pregnant often “fell through the cracks”. “Efforts should be made that they return to school. If the pupils are under 16, then a case should be opened with the SAPS as it is statutory rape.”

It was important that children were counselled and supported to be able to cope with their changed circumstances, Boshoff said.

Education Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga echoed her concerns. “Pregnant pupils undermine the Department of Basic Education’s endeavour to ensure that all pupils remain in school for the duration of their schooling, especially girls, so that they can have an opportunity to improve their quality of life.”

Mhlanga said the Council of Education Ministers had approved a national policy for the prevention and management of learner pregnancy.