Where a girl who is a pupil at a school becomes pregnant, the school head — (a) shall inform the parents of the girl as soon as possible if they are not already aware of the pregnancy, (b) shall facilitate psycho-social supportive services to the girl and parent, (c) if the girl and her parents so wish, the girl shall be permitted to remain at school for as long as possible before the delivery of her child, and to return thereafter as soon as her health and the health of her child permit it.

In an interview with The Independent, Majongwe said that allowing pregnant learners in school is akin to rewarding indiscipline. He said:

While there are some positive takeaways from the recently gazetted education regulations, such as the protection of the girl child and ensuring that the impregnated girl is not the only one punished by banishing her from attending school while the perpetrator is left free, there are some provisions that raise more questions than answers.

A close look at the document gives the impression of making schools ungovernable. The government is creating a situation whereby it will be difficult to discipline learners. It seems to reward indiscipline.

A learner who gets pregnant is ‘rewarded’ by being given special care rather than emphasising discipline.

The issue of allowing pregnant girls in schools defies logic. If a child engages in sex, it is grounds for expulsion from school, but if they get pregnant as a result of that sex, they are to be given psychosocial support and asked to remain in school.

Majongwe emphasized the need for proper teacher training to effectively address the complexities introduced by the new regulations. He said:

Will the government train teachers to handle these pregnant learners, because it requires special skills to deal with such delicate cases? Psychosocial support, as mentioned in the document, is no mean task.

The government has heaped another extra load on teachers, who are already grappling with heritage-based curriculum demands such as school-based projects.

Schools will be expected to create “maternity wards” in order to accommodate those, who may develop complications at school as a result of pregnancy.