Policy on pregnant pupils fails to focus on their rights, say Equal Education and Section27
The government’s draft policy on pregnant school pupils has drawn criticism for failing to put pupils’ rights to education at its centre. The Equal Education Law Centre and Section27 say the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy in Schools draft policy "seems to emphasise the impact of learner pregnancy on government planning and national development. This can be seen, for example, in the … policy’s failure to outline measures to be taken during pregnancy and after delivery to ensure that learners return to school." Earlier in 2018, the Department of Basic Education issued a gazette in which it invited comments from stakeholder bodies and members of the public on the proposed policy. The final day for commenting is Tuesday. According to the department, the rate of pupil pregnancy in SA has become a major "social, systemic and fiscal challenge not only for the basic education sector but, crucially, for the national development in general".
"It impacts the lives of many...
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