In the late 1990s, I was appointed temporary educator of a Grade 7 class in Limpopo. It was a very small school with four male teachers and I was the one and only female teacher.
Three months after my arrival, I discovered that one of my learners was pregnant. She was only 14 years old and did not know when the baby was due.
I approached the school principal for advice. He indicated that there was nothing we could do about the situation because the child was protected by the Constitution. He further indicated that if we forced the learner to stay at home because of her condition, the school would be punished for denying her the right to education.
It was on a very cold afternoon and the learners were about to write an Afrikaans examination when she went into labour. Her labour pains were so severe that I had to send the rest of the learners home before they could write their exam. I did not want them to see what the little girl was going through.
The local clinic is about 17km from the school. None of the teachers had a car. They all had cellular phones but the networks were down that day. I realised that I had no choice but to help the learner deliver the baby at school.
Because the school was not even electrified, I asked one of the teachers to go and ask for hot water from the neighbouring village to sterilise the pair of scissors I was going to use. I also told him to ask for a blanket and a clean towel. The teacher rushed away and returned with everything that I had requested.
The learner was in serious pain. The baby was due. I let her lie down on my floor. I helped her with the delivery. A healthy bouncing baby was born.
While the other teachers were waiting outside they saw a truck passing by and asked for a lift. Both the baby and the mother were taken to the clinic where they received the necessary treatment.
That was a day in my life I will never forget. I was a teacher and midwife at the same time.
I think that the Department of Education should develop a strategy to deal with learner pregnancies. There should be schools that accommodate pregnant learners only — and such schools must be staffed by qualified midwives.
This matter needs urgent attention.