Assessing the implementation of learner pregnancy policy in high schools in the Lichtenburg area

Abstract

Learner pregnancy is regarded as a major concern and a serious threat to gender parity in education. Addressing learner pregnancy is not a challenge facing only Department of Education, it is a battle that requires the active involvement of all stakeholders that is educators, Non -governmental organisation, Department of Education, Health and Social Development. The rate of learner pregnancy in public schools, prompted the Department of Education to release the policy of Learner Pregnancy Policy which ensures the rights of pregnant learners to continue with schools. The policy is based on prevention and management. This research study investigate how schools implement learner pregnancy policy. The objectives of the study are: • To investigate how schools encourage the prevention strategies of learner pregnancy policy; • To investigate how schools manage learner pregnancy; • To identify how Department of Education are involved in monitoring of the schools in implementing the pregnant learner policy. The study was conducted in four targeted high schools in the Lichtenburg area A qualitative approach and quantitative approach was used. Questionnaires and interviews were used as instruments. A purposeful sampling of 100 educators and 10 managers was selected. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for data analysis. The Findings of the study revealed that schools are not doing enough to provide learners with prevention strategies of learner pregnancy; Even though the policy encourages managers and educators to support learners who are pregnant, educators and managers still need to encourage pregnant learners to continue with their education when they are pregnant in line with the policy. Department of Education does not monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy regularly in schools. Recommendation of the study revealed that: Learners must be engaged in extra mural activities to keep them busy, Educators and managers must help, support and encourage pregnant learners to continue with their education and that the Provincial Department of Education must appoint a person at the department to monitor the effectiveness of the policy in schools, to visits schools regularly and to ensure their compliance.