“Are Teachers Nurses Now?”: SA Questions Policy on Teachers’ Responsibility for Pregnant Learners
- A South African woman’s video reacting to a government policy on pregnant learners sparked widespread debate online
- The policy, linked to draft BELA regulations, requires teachers to offer support and reasonable accommodation to pregnant learners
- South Africans were outraged, questioning whether teachers are being asked to take on roles well beyond their training and pay
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Source: Getty Images
A South African woman sparked fierce debate online after sharing her reaction to a government policy requiring teachers to support pregnant learners in their classrooms.
Twitter user @LCabonena posted the clip on 6 August 2026. In the video, the woman breaks down what the policy expects of classroom teachers, explaining that educators must offer “reasonable accommodation” to pregnant learners.
She also highlighted that teachers have to be sympathetic when those learners display attitude, and allow them to take maternity leave before returning to school. She referred to the policy as “Module 36” and said it had been presented to teachers as official procedure.
The BELA regulations behind the debate
The controversy is rooted in draft regulations published by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on 25 March 2026, under the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. The regulations are designed to protect pregnant learners’ right to remain in school, prevent discrimination, and connect learners with ante-natal, post-natal, and psychosocial support through partnerships with the Departments of Health and Social Development.
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The draft rules also introduce mandatory reporting: where a learner under 16 falls pregnant, the school must notify the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service, effectively treating the pregnancy as a statutory rape case.
What the regulations do not do, legally, is require teachers to provide medical or nursing care. The focus is on academic continuity and a non-discriminatory environment. However, many South Africans felt the practical burden being placed on teachers was far beyond reasonable.
Watch the video that sparked the debate below.
Mzansi reacts to the policy
South Africans on Twitter had a lot to say:
@Infonomics_SA wrote:
“Are teachers nurses now? Are teachers given the nursing training to do such? Are they paid extra to become nurses? Did the teacher send them to open their legs? Has this government gone too far?”
@DesireTablai said:
“They want teachers to be nurses and social workers, and when must they actually teach the learners.”
@ShoeSnobbie shared:
“I bowed out of the profession in 2004 and never looked back. The interference was getting to me.”
@Dee0015_ reacted:
“They are turning teachers into midwives.”
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Source: Briefly News
