Learner pregnancy in secondary schools in South Africa: Have attitudes and perceptions of teachers changed?

Letlhoyo Segalo

doi:10.19108/koers.85.1.2461

Abstract

Many secondary schools in South Africa have elaborate school policies on learner pregnancy. Many of these policies state that in the event of a female learner falling pregnant, the said learner will be suspended from the school. The application of these policies has been challenged in the courts of law either by the parents of the learners or the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. The study used a qualitative research approach to explore the perceptions of Life Orientation teachers with regards to learner pregnancy policies and their efficiency. A purposive sample of nine Life Orientation teachers was chosen, and a focus group was used to collect data from the respondents. There were five female and four male teachers in total who participated in the study. Their age ranged from 27 to 52 years with an average teaching experience of 15.3 years. The study showed that despite the legislation stating that schools should be supportive of the needs of the pregnant learners at the school, teachers interviewed demonstrated their unwillingness to adhere to the law. As a result, pregnant learners are advised or coerced to stay at home for the remainder of their pregnancy as the school environment is not tolerant towards them.

Highlights

It is a taboo in many communities for a school going child to fall pregnant while still being a learner
The findings of the study were divided into two sections, namely the document analysis of the nine school policies reviewed and the categories of themes that emerged from the focus group interviews
The findings of this study suggest that learner’s pregnancy policies in secondary schools are perceived with mixed feelings by the teachers

Summary

Introduction

It is a taboo in many communities for a school going child to fall pregnant while still being a learner. It is further insisted that learners falling pregnant are not participating in protective sex. Teenage pregnancy results from unprotected sex which exposes affected learners to a number of dangerous infections such as the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Prinsloo & Moletsane, 2013:11; Selesho & Modise, 2012:185; van Rooyen & van der Berg, 2009:93; Vivancos, Abubakar, Phillips-Howard & Hunter, 2013:55). Based on Willan’s (2013) assertions, there could be a lot of pressure put on learners who fall pregnant to terminate the pregnancy by way of abortion as is allowed in terms of The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, 92 of 1996. The sex pedagogy in public schools continues and is focused on aspects such as life skills and sex education (National Education Policy Act, 27 of 1996)

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