The Department of Basic Education co-hosted with the Eastern Cape Department of Education on a prevention Policy and management of learner Pregnancy in Schools at the Algoa College in Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay District.
Present stakeholders where the Department of Health, Department of Social Development and Eastern Cape AIDS Council.
The goal of the policy is to reduce the incidences of learner pregnancy through the provision of quality Comprehensive Sexuality Education and access to adolescent and youth-friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health services.
Highlighting the purpose of the day was the School Health, Safety and Learner Enrichment, Acting Director, Pumla Gxuluwe who said, 'We are meeting here to advocate and create stakeholders support network on the implementation of learner pregnancy prevention and management policy, as well as to cascade across the province empowering learners and school communities to create a sustainable change for our future generations.
Presenting on the issue of teenage pregnancy was Dr. Sibongiseni Mandondo from the Department of Health. She said, "Teenage pregnancy in schools has become a major challenge for the education sector and has affected on lives of thousands of young people nationally.
We are here as the department to partner with the Education Department to create an understanding and give support to reduce the high rate of pregnancy in our schools."
Speaking on behalf of the learners’ was Sophakama High School Grade 8 learner, Lulibo Gxekwa (14). She said, "The event hosted by the department was very educational, as it was based on the issue of teenage pregnancy that has a huge impact on us, to dropout of school at a very young age.
Therefore I have learnt that getting pregnant at a very young age can have lot of challenges that one have to face, so I would like to advice my peers to wait for the right time or prevent."