Education

The Western Cape Education Department applies a range of measures to address teenage pregnancy, in line with its mandate, and in collaboration with other agencies.

Curriculum

Our primary role is education. The Life Skills and Life Orientation curricula cover sex and sexuality appropriately in every grade.

The curriculum for the Foundation and Intermediate Phases focuses on knowing your body and how to keep yourself safe from sexual abuse. The curriculum for Grades 7 to 12 focuses on human reproduction and broader issues concerning sexuality.

The WCED has trained teachers on the Life Skills and Life Orientation curriculum as part of the introduction of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement [CAPS].

The WCED is developing a three-day training programme with the Gynaecology Faculty at the University of Cape Town for subject advisors and teachers of Grades 7 to 9 to provide additional CAPS training on sexuality education.

Support

The WCED has introduced a policy called “Managing Learner Pregnancy in Public Schools” that provides step-by-step guidelines on how schools should support pregnant learners.

The aim of the policy is to ensure that pregnant learners stay at school and complete their schooling.

The policy recognises that all concerned have roles and responsibilities in this situation, including the school, the parents of the unborn child, and the families concerned.

The department employs social workers and psychologists in every district who counsel pregnant learners. They also work with other departments such as Health and Social Development to provide appropriate support.

Learners can seek advice and counseling from our Safe Schools Call Centre on 0800-45-46-47.

Interventions

The WCED is implementing national policy on preventing HIV and TB. The policy includes ensuring that learners have the knowledge and skills needed to make informed life choices, especially those concerning their sexuality.

Our schools and the department implement the policy via Life Orientation classes as well as extra-curricular activities, most in collaboration with other departments and agencies working in the field.

The WCED organises targeted interventions where teenage pregnancy is a particular concern.

For example, social workers and psychologists are currently conducting a programme involving 1 000 boys and girls to prevent teenage pregnancy.

The department is encouraging Representative Councils of Learners [RCLs] to include pregnancy awareness in their programmes. The WCED has engaged a service provider to train 63 RCLs on preventing teenage pregnancy, among other issues.

The WCED is implementing a Peer Education programme in 72 schools in all districts to train learners on how to share information with fellow learners, including information on teenage pregnancy.

The department works with various organisations to build the knowledge and skills of young people and parents on how to address issues affecting the youth, including pregnancy.

Our Safe Schools division organises programmes with various agencies to address youth development issues, including pregnancy.

Examples include programmes during the October 2014 holiday covering a wide range of topics, including the challenges of puberty, sexuality, self-image and gender violence.

Safe Schools has organised the holiday programmes in collaboration with departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Social Development, the police, Love Life, Badisa, Womb to Tomb and Yeshua Skills Development, among others.