Africa-Press – South-Africa. An Eastern Cape school principal allegedly asked four pregnant girls to stay at home, with their parents told to fetch the pupils’ daily schoolwork.
Following complaints by angry parents, the allegation was reported to the Eastern Cape’s Education MEC, Fundile Gade, by children’s rights group Khula Community Development Project (KCDP).
The department’s spokesperson, Vuyiseka Mboxela, confirmed that Gade received the complaint.
Gade has tasked the director of education in the Joe Gqabi district to investigate the allegations, and then to report to the head of the education department, Naledi Mbude.
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Based on the report, Mbude would then advise Gade.
“The number (of pregnant pupils) is reported to be four, but the expected report from the district director will authenticate that claim,” Mboxela said.
The school involved is Lindelani Senior Secondary School in eMaxesibeni, formerly Mount Ayliff, in the Alfred Nzo District.
KCDP slammed the school with regard to how it handled the issue.
In a letter to Gade on Friday, KCDP director Petrus Majola said while his office did not condone learner pregnancy, he was dismayed by the reports of the manner in which the school handled the issue.
Majola said it was reported to him that pupils were first informed to disclose their pregnancy and then asked to stay at home.
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Majola said: “One parent mentioned that it would be impossible for her to fetch schoolwork as she wouldn’t even know how to explain Grade 12 work to her child at home.”
Majola said he spoke to at least one pupil, who confirmed that she was instructed to stay at home.
He said:
“Are we blaming them (females) for having a womb to carry a baby? Or have they committed a crime by virtue of being females? If not, then let us create laws that will look at both a male and female learner, without being discriminatory in our decisions and policies.”
The National Association of Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa) said the matter had been mishandled.
Naptosa’s executive director, Basil Manuel, said: “Principals should know that children who fall pregnant cannot be summarily expelled from school. Seemingly, we are now criminalising the child, and denying the child their constitutional rights.”
Manuel said hundreds of pupils fall pregnant every year and schools need to ensure that the child produces a medical certificate regularly to prove that they are fit to attend school.
Manuel says pregnancy is not a disease.
“It’s sad that, in this day and age, our people are still ignoring the basic tenet of our democracy. Naptosa is saddened that this is still happening, he said.
Manuel said the union wants Gade to act speedily in dealing with the matter.
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