Question NW1959 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

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06 September 2021 - NW1959

Profile picture: Arries, Ms LH

Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

What total number of learners has been recorded in her department to have fallen pregnant in the 2015-20 period?

Reply:

With regards to the question on learner pregnancy, it is necessary to note the difficulties in reporting accurate information on the number of learners that are pregnant at schools.  The school Principal or school Administrator captures the information on the South African School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS), provided that the learners declare their pregnancy.  There are many instances where the Principal might not be aware of a learner being pregnant, as it is not declared; and therefore, it cannot be recorded.  Furthermore, societal norms regarding teenage pregnancy may prohibit learners from reporting that they are pregnant; hence, there is under-reporting of teenage pregnancy on SA-SAMS.  The Department uses the General Household Survey (GHS), which provides the best information on learner pregnancy statistics.  Given that the GHS survey is sample-based, and that the proportion of learners that report pregnancy is very low, the actual number of pregnancies should be interpreted with extreme caution.

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