Inside the high school with 34 pregnant teenagers

Faced with a ballooning teenage schoolgirl pregnancy rate – said to be standing at 34 affected girls this year alone – school principal Matsiane Baloyi has reached the end of his tether.

“What else can we do that we haven’t already done?” he asked in desperation.

Ithuteng Secondary School in Randfontein has 1,046 pupils, of which 600 are girls. This means the pregnancy rate is 1 in 18.

And the principal has tried everything to deter pupils from engaging in early sex: sex education lessons – part of life orientation classes – help from adults like female police officers and nurses; talks and assistance from NGOs, religious groups, parents and even officials from the department of education.

“But the problem seems to persist. I have now reached the ceiling. There is nothing we have not done to address this growing crisis of pupils falling pregnant,” said Baloyi.

Although Baloyi could not give the latest statistics when The Citizen visited the troubled school, Nokuphiwe Dakile, whose father is a teacher at the school, earlier sent out a tweet, which had tongues wagging: “My dad is a school teacher at Ithuteng Secondary School in Randfontein.

“A lot of the school kids are from less privileged homes and the school currently has 34 pregnant girls. If anyone has baby clothes that they no longer need and would like to donate, please drop me a direct message.”

Dakile’s SOS message went further: “The area is semi-rural and has a high level of poverty. This is a situation they are currently facing and donations would be helpful.”

A visit to the public, no-fee school, situated at the semi-rural dusty township of Baridile, near the West Rand town of Randfontein, was enough to confirm Dakile’s concerns.

Completely surrounded by farms and sprinklings of informal settlements, Baridile township, with brick-built four-roomed homes, is miles away from malls and other public amenities.

Through government subsidies, seven buses daily ferry pupils from rural farms and informal settlements to the school about six kilometres away. While the school has a tennis court and a playground, a few pupils milled around outside, while the rest could have been preparing for exams in classrooms.

Ithuteng Secondary School children board scholar transport buses at Brandvlei, Randfontein, 21 October 2019. Thirty-four girls from less privileged homes at the school are pregnant. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

A pregnant teenager – as young as 17 – stood with friends outside the school premises, chatting.

A prominent and colourful mural painted on the front of the school building had a message for pupils: “Education is the key to success. No to drugs and substance abuse. Stop teen pregnancy.”

Inside Baloyi’s office, his staff were discussing how best to deal with the pregnancy plague set to ruin the future of young girls – some from child-headed households.

Given the socioeconomic situation in the area – high levels of poverty, unemployment, prostitution, liquor and drug abuse – Baloyi has been besieged by societal ills that render his noble efforts futile.

“Sometimes, it feels like going against the grain,” he said. “My wish has always been that these kids should be involved in sex when they are mature enough and are adults to fully understand the implications of their actions.

“We are, indeed, facing very high teenage pregnancy levels here and everyone, including parents, have their hands full trying to help the school to be restored to normality.

“We have a local clinic, offer life skills and sex education lessons to address this scourge of pregnancies.

“But we have not made any headway yet.”

Asked whether any of his male teaching staff might be implicated, Baloyi said: “I want to believe that none of the educators are involved.

“Should there be any evidence pointing to any member of my staff, I would not hesitate to take legal action. If any member of the public has any evidence or information, come forward.”

At the core of the crisis, said Baloyi, was that most girls at the school were vulnerable “due to circumstances out of their hands”.

“This is a rural area and some of the girls are from child-headed households who live in government-subsidised houses – leaving them open to exploitation and abuse by old men.

“Also compounding the situation is poverty, which makes kids quite vulnerable,” said Baloyi. “We also have a problem of our surroundings being in close proximity to the N14, which is often used by truck drivers travelling between Johannesburg, Ventersdorp, Krugersdorp and Pretoria.

“Poor children sometimes find themselves being lured by money to be involved in sexual intercourse with strangers – something which is also detrimental to their health,” Baloyi said.

In line with the department of basic education’s policy on dealing with pregnant pupils, Baloyi said the school did not discriminate against the affected girls.

“We have put contingency plans in place with the local clinic and encourage them to come to class for the sake of their future,” Baloyi said.

What the stats say

The situation at Ithuteng Secondary School is dire, but by no means isolated.

• According to last year’s Stats SA figures, a total of 97,143 teenage mothers gave birth in 2017.
• The statistics also revealed that more than 3,000 girls aged between 10 and 14 became mothers in the same year.
• According to the World Health Organisation, girls between the ages of 15 and 19 account for 11% of births worldwide.
• Of the 11% births, 95%, are in low- to middle-income countries, with South Africa included.
• Despite ongoing awareness and deterrent attempts by government and nongovernmental organisations, teen pregnancy is still a major concern.

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