Johannesburg - Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga says the department is working on measures to reduce the number of learners who fall pregnant.
She said they also wanted all learners who are pregnant to be allowed to continue with their studies and avoid dropping out of school.
The minister was replying to a written parliamentary question from NFP MP Munzoor Shaik Emam on measures to prevent teenage pregnancy in schools.
Motshekga said the authorities would not allow young learners to be sexually abused and were working with a number of organisations to prevent the scourge of sexual abuse against learners, and teenage pregnancy.
She said her department had gazetted a policy to prevent teenage pregnancy and it was approved by Cabinet.
“The policy supports that all learners should have access to comprehensive sexuality education, access to sexual and reproductive health services in schools through the integrated school health programme and pregnant learners should be allowed to carry on attending classes as long as they can and then be encouraged to return to school after giving birth, as pregnant girls often dropout of school, limiting opportunities for future employment and perpetuating the cycle of poverty, ” said Motshekga.
Motshekga said there was a policy on sexual abuse of learners which took into account that not all sexual encounters were consensual.
She said all educators would be orientated in the implementation of protocol for the management and reporting of sexual abuse and harassment in schools as some pregnancies were a result of rape.
"It is crucial to note that the policy recognises that not all sexual encounters are consensual; however, consensual and non consensual sex is defined in the Protocols for Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Schools.
"The policy is therefore, aligned to policies, such as the Integrated School Health Policy of 2012, the National Policy on HIV, STI and TB, including other existing policies and strategies of the department and the sector at large," she said.
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