Department of Education Plans to Provide Condoms in Schools for Kids 12 and Older, SA Wants Sanitary Towels

• The Department of Basic Education has been given the go-ahead to provide condoms to schools for children 12 and older
• The department hopes the strategy, which is part of an educational programme to prevent teen pregnancy, will be effective
• South Africans are against the introduction of condoms and think there are more important things the government could implement

JOHANNESBURG - In an effort to combat the rise in teenage pregnancy cases in South Africa, the Department of Basic Education is proposing introducing condoms in schools for children 12 and older.

School children will have reasonable access to male and female condoms. Access to condoms will be dependent on the level of inquiry or need.

The DBE's proposal has already been approved by Cabinet and will be rolled out from January 2022 as part of the prevention and management of pupil pregnancy in schools policy, according to News24.

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The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) says the introduction of the policy is a good thing because it will allow pregnant teens to continue with their schooling while also educating male pupils.

The objective of the policy is to give school kids sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education.

TimesLIVE reported in September that the DBE planned on introducing condom vending machines in some schools in a bid to deal with HIV/Aids and teen pregnancy. It is currently unclear if the condom vending machines are a feature of the approved policy.

South Africans think free condoms for school kids is a bad idea

Social media users are not in favour of the Department of Basic Education's plan to give schoolchildren access to condoms. Many think the government should be more focused on providing sanitary towels and educating children.

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Here's what they had to say:

@vanen_dookey said:

"So basically you guys are encouraging underage sex in a way. Instead of free condoms. Give out free sanitary packs that consist of roll-on, toothbrushes, sanitary pads, soap, wipes and toothpaste! Stop encouraging safe sex to underage kids. Their time for that will come when due!"

@empower333 said:

"This goes against everything morally that I believe in... Sadly it has to be because children are raised very differently these days."

@windzaro said:

"South Africa, we lost the battle to raise our kids."

@Tsigwili said:

"So sanitary pads are out of the question, I mean they need those more than condoms... Kuba worse by the hour."

@SCE42653766 said:

"Thing's need to be provided at school, pads and teach all those young children to abstain on top of that. Tell them the struggle of becoming a mother at a young age. Invite nurses at schools to teach them about the pregnancy once a week. Remember we're building society."

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Health Minister says schoolgirl pregnancies are unacceptable

Briefly News previously reported that in a debate about teenage pregnancy, Health Minister Joe Phaala called unplanned pregnancies, particularly in females who are still in school, unacceptable.

This follows a report by the Department of Basic Education which stated that 130 000 babies were born to girls between 10 and 19 years of age in 2019.

Phaahla expressed that more action needs to be taken to ensure that girls do not become pregnant, as it disrupts their schooling and causes many to drop out of school altogether, and often do not return. He also added that teenage pregnancy has long plagued the country.

Source: Briefly News