PREGNANT pupils should stay home and not bother coming to school.
This was the cry of teachers interviewed in a study conducted by academics from the University of South Africa.
The study, titled Secondary school teachers' experiences of teaching pregnant learners in Limpopo province, was published in the South African Journal of Education last month.
It was conducted in three township high schools in the province.
The Country Progress Report released last year revealed that in 2012, 52937 pupils had given birth, 20987 were pregnant and 2695 pupils underwent abortions.
While some teachers felt that pregnant pupils should not attend school, others said they should come to school until a few months before delivery.
"I really don't want us to have pregnant learners in school. My wish is that as soon as the child [becomes] pregnant, [she] be removed from school, and stay home; finish the whole process; then the parents can apply again," said one teacher.
"It is just not nice to have a child with a big tummy walking around the school."
Other teachers felt the pupils should be punished for falling pregnant by being suspended from school.
"If a child falls pregnant, that child [must] be suspended from school for two years," said a teacher, adding that this could act as a deterrent for others.
But, according to the department of basic education's policy, pupils who are pregnant cannot be stopped from attending school.
"In accordance with the constitution, the South African Schools Act, and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, school children who are pregnant shall not be unfairly discriminated against," reads the measures for the prevention and management of learner pregnancy.
General secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union, Mugwena Maluleke, said the department had an obligation to train support staff who should attend to pregnant pupils in schools.
He said teachers find themselves having to sacrifice teaching time and disadvantage other pupils in the process because they have to attend to the needs of pregnant pupils.
"It's a challenge to teach pregnant pupils and teachers often have to go out of their way to accommodate the pupils," he said.
National Professional Teacher's Organisation of South Africa's Basil Manuel said generally teachers embraced pregnant pupils even though it was challenging.
He said in some instances it became an inconvenience and put a lot of pressure on teachers.
Some of the findings in the study were that pregnancy impacts negatively on academic progress.
"They are not even active in class. Most of them do fail. And they fail below my expectations," said one teacher.
The study also revealed that some teachers stigmatised pregnant pupils.
macupeb@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Teachers say No to 'big tummies' - they should stay home
PREGNANT pupils should stay home and not bother coming to school.
This was the cry of teachers interviewed in a study conducted by academics from the University of South Africa.
The study, titled Secondary school teachers' experiences of teaching pregnant learners in Limpopo province, was published in the South African Journal of Education last month.
It was conducted in three township high schools in the province.
The Country Progress Report released last year revealed that in 2012, 52937 pupils had given birth, 20987 were pregnant and 2695 pupils underwent abortions.
While some teachers felt that pregnant pupils should not attend school, others said they should come to school until a few months before delivery.
"I really don't want us to have pregnant learners in school. My wish is that as soon as the child [becomes] pregnant, [she] be removed from school, and stay home; finish the whole process; then the parents can apply again," said one teacher.
"It is just not nice to have a child with a big tummy walking around the school."
Other teachers felt the pupils should be punished for falling pregnant by being suspended from school.
"If a child falls pregnant, that child [must] be suspended from school for two years," said a teacher, adding that this could act as a deterrent for others.
But, according to the department of basic education's policy, pupils who are pregnant cannot be stopped from attending school.
"In accordance with the constitution, the South African Schools Act, and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, school children who are pregnant shall not be unfairly discriminated against," reads the measures for the prevention and management of learner pregnancy.
General secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union, Mugwena Maluleke, said the department had an obligation to train support staff who should attend to pregnant pupils in schools.
He said teachers find themselves having to sacrifice teaching time and disadvantage other pupils in the process because they have to attend to the needs of pregnant pupils.
"It's a challenge to teach pregnant pupils and teachers often have to go out of their way to accommodate the pupils," he said.
National Professional Teacher's Organisation of South Africa's Basil Manuel said generally teachers embraced pregnant pupils even though it was challenging.
He said in some instances it became an inconvenience and put a lot of pressure on teachers.
Some of the findings in the study were that pregnancy impacts negatively on academic progress.
"They are not even active in class. Most of them do fail. And they fail below my expectations," said one teacher.
The study also revealed that some teachers stigmatised pregnant pupils.
macupeb@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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