Polokwane – A mind-boggling incident at Molautsi Secondary School outside Polokwane has sent shivers through the Limpopo education system, exposing a shocking reality of teenage pregnancy and the lack of adequate support for vulnerable learners.
A Grade 10 pupil, just 16 years old, gave birth alone in a school toilet on Monday, 22 July. The incident has sparked outrage and demands for accountability, with the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education demanding answers from the Limpopo Department of Education.
The young girl, reportedly seven months pregnant, went into labour while alone in the school's toilets. She delivered her baby without any assistance, highlighting the dire lack of support and awareness surrounding teenage pregnancy within the school environment. The incident has left many questioning how a pregnant teenager could slip through the cracks, going unnoticed until the moment of birth.
"It is concerning that such an incident happened in a school toilet," said Joy Maimela, chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education. "It is even more worrying that the learner delivered the baby without assistance. It is dangerous for both the mother and the child."
The Limpopo Department of Education confirmed the incident, stating that measures are in place to provide support to pregnant learners. MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya stated, "In cases of such circumstances, there are measures in place to provide support to pregnant learners throughout the schooling season. These include appraising the life orientation educator for further support, informing the learner support agent and informing the educators on the learner's status, among other measures."
However, the committee remains unconvinced, demanding a thorough investigation into whether the school was aware of the pupil's pregnancy and, if so, why it was not captured in the school's management systems. "The committee noted that the provincial education department had not been notified that the learner was pregnant and that no such information about the learner’s pregnancy existed in the school management systems, as should be the case," said Maimela.
The incident has brought to the fore the ongoing struggle with teenage pregnancy in South Africa, a complex issue with multifaceted causes. Experts attribute the high rates of teenage pregnancy to factors such as poverty, lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health education, and societal norms that often fail to adequately address the needs of young girls.
