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Pregnant pupil whisked awayfrom school by parents, apparently before giving birth in class

GIRLS AT RISK: Pupils at Umlazi Comprehensive High School was outside as their teacher inside the classroom helps their pregnant classmate who developed labour pains in class. Pic. Mhlaba Memela. 31/07/07. © Sowetan.
GIRLS AT RISK: Pupils at Umlazi Comprehensive High School was outside as their teacher inside the classroom helps their pregnant classmate who developed labour pains in class. Pic. Mhlaba Memela. 31/07/07. © Sowetan.

Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

Teachers at Umlazi Comprehensive High School are concerned about the lack of information needed to help pregnant pupils to deal with their condition.

This is after a pregnant pupil developed labour pains while in class on Friday. She was in her last days of pregnancy.

One of the teachers had to be called in to help the Grade 11 pupil after she started "bleeding".

The pupil told the teacher that she was not feeling well, prompting the school authorities to call for her parents and an ambulance.

But the girl's parents whisked her away before the ambulance arrived.

When Sowetan visited the school yesterday, school principal Lucky Luthuli denied rumours that the pupil had given birth in the classroom.

"I can confirm that the pupil was pregnant but her parents took her away before the ambulance arrived. No baby was born in the classroom," said Luthuli.

He said the school had not yet been informed about the girl's condition and the hospital she had been taken to.

Luthuli said he only heard about the girl's pregnancy on Friday.

He said some parents notified the school when their daughters fell pregnant.

"When I find out that a pupil is pregnant I usually call the girl's parents to discuss issues such as the number of months left before delivery and for how long the pupil can be kept in school."

The school had in the recent past met some parents to discuss such matters including leave from school for their pregnant daughters, he said.

"The school has about 1540 girls and it is very difficult to identify the pregnant ones as some of them hide their pregnancies."

Education Department official Ntokozo Maphisa said according to the official policy the principal was supposed to summon the pregnant girl and her parents to school so that the pupil could be educated on pregnancy- related issues and on school policy.

"Pupils are normally sent home in the last trimester of the pregnancy and come back after the birth of the baby on a date that is advised by a medical doctor.

"During the maternity break, parents are encouraged to pick up study material from the school," said Maphisa.

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