According to the Northern Cape Department of Education, teen pregnancy contributes to school dropouts in the province.
Between April 2020 and June 2021, the province documented over 5,000 students who became pregnant.
Researchers and education activists are urging the department to provide support for pregnant students in schools.
According to a recent report from the education department, in the Joe Morolong Local Municipality in the Northern Cape, just fifty percent of learners who begin primary school continue on to high school, and only fifteen percent of all citizens complete Grade 12, on average.
Teenage pregnancy has been identified by the Northern Cape Education Department as a factor in high dropout rates. Its Zero Dropout Campaign report reveals alarming provincial school dropout and graduation statistics.
Other reasons include a lack of parental support, risky travel to school, the need to make a living, and the willingness to take risks to attract the attention of “better-resourced groups,” such as criminal gangs and sugar daddies.
“Very few girls return to school after giving birth,” according to Frederick Ocansey of the Yethu Club in Kuruman, whose mission is to reduce dropout rates.
Parents, school personnel, and members of the community who are worried that a student is at risk of dropping out contact Ocansey. “We shall then speak with the affected student. When a situation is beyond our ability to handle, we involve a counselor and a social worker,” he explained.
He stated that unemployment is high in the community.
Ocansey stated, “We see how dreadful the economic situation is and how most of the learners, especially the girls, get resources from older boys; consequently, some of them become pregnant and drop out of school.”
He stated that the education department should give more school counselors to assist pregnant students and urge them to complete their studies. “They must be encouraged to continue their education, despite being pregnant,” added Ocansey.
From April 2020 to June 2021, a spokesperson for the department, Geoffrey van der Merwe, reported 5,015 teen pregnancies among learners aged 10 to 19 years. 154 of these pregnancies were among students aged 10 to 14.
There are 556 public schools in the Northern Cape, with 89 primary schools and 15 secondary schools in the Joe Morolong Municipality.
“Teenage pregnancy is prevalent in all districts, but especially in the Frances Baard and John Taolo Gaetsewe districts. These numbers are extremely concerning to the department,” Van der Merwe added.
He stated that drug and alcohol misuse were also associated to adolescent pregnancy.
Ekurhuleni municipality has been accused of neglecting to pay guards.
Jane Borman and Stacey Jacobs of Equal Education reported that the psychological impact of pregnancy affects both male and female students, however “female students are more likely to experience social stigma and have their education interrupted due to pregnancy.”
The possibility of needing to financially support a child may also motivate a student to seek employment rather than complete their education.
In 2020, at the height of the Covid epidemic, the average annual dropout rate for learners in Grades R to 12 in the Northern Cape increased from 4% (about 11,000 learners) to 7%. (21,415 learners). According to van der Merwe, there was a “historic decrease” in the dropout rate to 2.8% by 2021.
»Concerns about teenage pregnancies and dropout rates in the Northern Cape«