MEC Barbara Creecy says that this change is seldom in a positive direction.
According to recent surveys, Gauteng has the lowest number of teenage pregnancies per 1 000 learners.
Creecy adds that there are many contributing factors related to teen pregnancy.
“They may agree to engage in early sexual encounters, because they fear of losing the relationship, or they may not be able to negotiate the use of contraception, and in some instances, they are the victims of rape.
“We know that girls without loving families of their own are more vulnerable to early sexual encounters,” she says.
Despite the reported decline in teenage fertility rates, the department seeks to strengthen efforts towards addressing this challenge.
To this end, the GDE introduced various intervention programmes to increase access to quality education, and improve learner behaviour through life-skills programmes, as well as HIV/Aids programmes in schools.
She adds that the healthy living curriculum programmes have been incorporated in the school curriculum to raise learner awareness and deal with change behaviour among learners.
“To ensure that girl learners do not fall victim to early pregnancies, government has put into place a number of mechanisms and programmes to educate all children on reproductive health,” notes Creecy.
She says that in a rights-based society, young girls who fall pregnant should not be denied access to education, and this is entrenched in law through the Constitution and the Schools Act of 1996.
The Life Skills Programme has been implemented in schools since 1998, and outside of the school there are clinics, television, radio and Internet, which also provide information about HIV/Aids and pregnancy.
Life Skills deals with the holistic development of the learner throughout childhood. It equips learners with knowledge, skills and values that assist them to achieve their full physical, intellectual, personal, emotional and social potential.
The subject encourages learners to acquire and practice life skills that will assist them to become independent and effective in responding to lifes challenges.
The subject aims to develop learners through three different, but interrelated study areas, that is, personal and social well-being, physical education and creative arts.
Learner pregnancy and HIV/Aids are covered in the personal and social well-being component of the subject.
