WESTERN CAPE NEWS - In the Eden Karoo District, teenage pregnancies dropped from 429 cases in 2015 to 265 cases reported in 2017. These statistics have proved to the Department of Education that the effort they are putting in is making a difference.

Bronagh Hammond, a spokesperson for the Western Cape department of education (WCED), says this district has several interventions in place to address teenage pregnancy, therefore it is difficult to ascribe the decline to one specific strategy. "We did change the focus from merely providing information on pregnancy prevention to teaching and discussing values with both female and male learners."

Hammond meets monthly with the Department of Health to review the effectiveness of the interventions, but also to get more accurate statistics so that they can focus their efforts at the schools that need it the most. The focus is on intervention strategies to address other wider issues that might impact on teenage pregnancies such as drug abuse, bullying, self-esteem enhancement and decision-making skills.

Intervention programmes
According to Hammond some of the interventions and programmes are run at schools in the district. It includes the expos at identified schools where various stakeholders and professionals of the health sector and NGOs engage with learners in small groups. 

"They are provided with information and are afforded opportunity to ask questions or to interact on a one-on-one basis."

The school social workers in collaboration with the Health Department undertake specific health programmes with learners. They run sessions with parents to enlighten them and to get them involved. There are seven radio programmes discussing teenage sexuality, bullying, drug abuse and life skills for teenagers that were aired on Gamkaland FM and EDENfm. 

Learners actively participated in these programmes, one of which was on Youth Day, when grade 11 and 12 learners did peer education on these two radio stations, discussing life skills and positive choices for teenagers from 06:00 till 22:00.

Sexuality education
She says in the subject Life Orientation, sexuality and life skills education is done with primary and high school learners. Schools have to notify the school social worker of learner pregnancies so that support can be provided to the learner in question. 

"A second or third pregnancy is prevented by providing relevant information, but learners also receive guidance and counselling. Learners who decide to complete their schooling are supported by the school social workers."

At some of the schools, care and support assistants are employed to assist learners with sexuality education and life choices. In addition to that, the Gold NGO also provides two care and support assistants at each of Parkdene Senior Secondary, Thembaletu High and Imizamo Yethu High schools.

"School social workers do a high school preparation programme with grade 7 learners in the third term to prepare them for high school. Teenage sexuality and positive life choices are key aspects of this programme. At Dellville Park Primary School and Thembalethu Primary School, more specific in-depth programmes were done with grade 7 learners."

Intensive programmes were also done with hostel learners at Pacaltsdorp High School and PW Botha College. At Olympia and Van Kervel skills schools, the school counsellors do intensive sexuality education and guidance.

Shaun Eagen of the Family Transformation Centre is contracted to spearhead a fatherhood programme focusing on boys, male educators as well as fathers. "The idea is for male educators and fathers in the community to be good role models for young boys," says Hammond.

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