Question NW1382 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
26 May 2023 - NW1382
Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) What is the implementation date of her department’s National Policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools; (2) whether provinces are allowed to contradict and/or deviate from the specified policy; if not, what (a) are the reasons that pregnant learners at Tshiitwa Secondary School in Ha-Mashamba, Limpopo, were not allowed to attend school without a parent or adult throughout the day and (b) steps will she take to ensure compliance by all provinces; if so, why?
Reply:
(1) The Minister of Basic Education gazetted the DBE Policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Secondary schools on 08 November 2021. The Policy was further launched by the Deputy Minister of Basic Education in February 2022 in Rustenburg, North West province. All provinces were orientated on the policy for implementation and dissemination workshops were conducted in 2022.
(2) Provinces are not allowed to contradict or deviate from the policy. The DBE is currently finalising a guide on the implementation of the policy to support SGBs and SMTs with school level operationalisation of the policy.