OPINION: Province pregnant with crisis: Pregnancy and childcare responsibilities keep KZN learners from matriculating 

Last year, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli visited the Victoria Mxenge Hospital in Durban to celebrate the birth of 47 babies that were born on Christmas Day in the province. This visit, however, exposed a troubling and persistent challenge facing South Africa; three of these Christmas babies were born to mothers who were only 15 years old. While the Premier noted his commitment to fostering safe, healthy and supportive environments for these teenage mothers and their children, teenage pregnancy has undoubtedly remained an issue nationally, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.  

A report by the Health Systems Trust’s Phakama Digest which was published just months before the premier’s visit, revealed that a total of 31 088 teenagers gave birth between April 2023 and March 2024, which puts these Christmas births into perspective. These statistics are substantial and problematic, particularly because these instances of teenage pregnancy perpetuate dropout rates in schools. 

According to the Phakama Digest, out of 25 239 teenage pregnancies which occurred between April 2023 and March 2024, only 2 408 of those girl learners returned to school to complete their basic education. Prior research such as our 2021 publication, ‘Gender Matters’ found that without adequate support systems for young mothers, these pregnancies largely come at the expense of completing their schooling. 

Of equal significance, the report recorded that only 61 of the 6022 schools within KwaZulu-Natal offer Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), which fosters the Life Orientation subject and other peer-education efforts. The absence of such programmes leads to most teenagers having limited access to stigma-free information sources that gives them the opportunity to make responsible decisions relating to their sexual health. For example, whilst condoms are distributed for free across many public institutions, with the stigma that exists, young people are not empowered to use them, which compromises the effectiveness of such an intervention.  

The absence of psychosocial support (PSS) services in schools also causes a permanent effect on young teenage girls who are victims of sexual assault. Within the province alone, 11 500 babies were born to girls between 10 and 14 years old between April 2020 and March 2023. Additionally, between April 2023 and March 2024, approximately 85 births from teenage pregnancies occurred every day. These are undeniable cases of both rape and statutory rape, which require bother psychosocial and legal intervention.  

In a recent site visit to Pinetown a school the Zero Dropout Campaign joined the National Association of Child Care Workers (NAACCW) for a showcase of the latter’s PSS intervention programmes for learners who are at risk of dropping out. NACCW builds models of care, and implements programmes and projects for children, youth, and their families.  

During the visit, we sat with the school’s principal who informed us that through the NACCW’s programmes and interventions, teenage pregnancy rates at his school over the years had decreased to just three pregnancies in the past year, contrary to increasing trends within the area. 

Through various proactive approaches including an open-door policy, drop box entries, and gate checks, behaviourally at-risk learners are identified early for intervention and support from childcare workers. By addressing emotional and social needs, such support reduces stigma around both sexual assault and pregnancy, and helps learners recover, rebuild confidence, and stay in school.  

Despite calls by civil society for the quick return of young mothers to school, many schools continue to follow outdated government policy which prevents mothers from returning within a year of giving birth, which ultimately increases their chances of dropping out. Quality CSE and reducing stigma are both crucial in ensuring that teenage pregnancies are reduced.  

It’s been almost a year since Premier Ntuli’s Christmas visit, and to ensure last year’s shocking revelation doesn’t become a repeating holiday tradition, schools and education officials must make a concerted effort to ensure that they can continue their education through catch-up programmes, flexible scheduling, mentorship, and psychosocial support. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Merle Mansfield is the Programme Director for the Zero Dropout Campaign.  

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Siyabulela Sandi on 078 668 2603 or via email at siyabulela@zerodropout.co.za