Written by: Dr Pearl Kupe
Article source: JOY! Magazine
On 16 January 2025, Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko announced her intention to introduce implants as a contraceptive option for learners with their parents’ consent.
The MEC announced that the initiative was being considered as one of the options to decrease the high number of teenage pregnancies in schools. Statistics currently show that between 2023 and 2024, more than 122 000 teenagers gave birth, including 2716 girls aged 10 to 14 and 119 587 teens aged 15 to 19. South Africa is known to have one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world.
The government’s position
Government has since released a media statement attempting to “clarify its position”. It claims that this option would be part of a “multi-sectoral plan” which would include “recognising the importance of young people delaying early sexual debut”. The question that must be asked is, if the government truly recognises this importance, why then are they rolling out comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) lesson plans to six-year-olds?
The huge problem with the MEC’s suggestion
The Department of Education is trying to resolve a situation that was largely exacerbated by their own CSE programme. This is a programme that encouraged the early sexualisation of children and encourages promiscuity. In a Carte Blanche programme that I participated in, aired in 2021, I raised a concern about increased pregnancies resulting from the CSE roll out. This concern appears to have been valid.
Implant contraception will not resolve the matter, but will actually worsen it. By making contraception readily available, it encourages promiscuity in learners and teenagers and opens wider doors of sexual engagement. This in turn increases sexually transmitted diseases and other implant-related diseases.
The factors
Some of the key factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy include: socioeconomic status, the low age of consent for children to engage in consensual sex; GBV (gender-based violence) and sexual violence in schools; substance abuse, and lack of education.
The concerns
Pregnancies are a key health concern because adolescents are more likely to have difficult pregnancies and deliveries. Statistics show that conditions such as eclampsia, premature babies, and babies with health complications occur more often in adolescents.
The solution
The solution is not to teach children how to engage in sex. Sexuality is certainly an aspect of education that must be taught to children to keep them safe and protected, but not in the manner that CSE is being taught.
Parents must be the primary educators and must take overall responsibility for educating their children on sexuality. Sexuality cannot be taught in a one-size-fits-all manner. Children are unique and have different personalities and learning abilities. It is parents who know their children best and will know what approach to take in teaching them on this very sensitive subject.
The primary responsibility of teaching children is given to parents by God. Proverbs 22:6 is the key Scripture that mandates parents to teach and train children when they are young. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 also instructs parents to teach their children diligently and in alignment with Kingdom principles.
FSE as a solution
Family Sexuality Education (FSE) is a sexuality programme we created alongside Focus on the Family that empowers parents and helps them overcome any cultural hindrances that impair them from teaching their children about their sexuality. FSE helps parents educate their children in a Biblical and Scriptural manner that focuses on the promotion of abstinence. It is a life skills curriculum that’s based on character development. Character development includes the development of character traits such as integrity, courage, helpfulness, respect, self-control, perseverance, and honesty.
Role of parents
1. Parents must educate their children at home.
2. They must sit on school governing bodies (SGBs).
In taking responsibility for educating their children, parents align with their God-given responsibility and will get the opportunity to impart their faith, worldview, and values to them. It also provides them with an opportunity to strengthen their parent-child relationship.
What are SGBs?
In essence, SGBs exist to promote the best interest of the school. They do this by adopting a constitution, mission statement, and code of conduct setting out how the SGB will operate and learners will be held accountable. The SGBs aid the staff in fulfilling their functions and decide on policy relating to admissions, language, finance, etc. SGBs are decision-making bodies that are essentially mandated to set policies and rules that govern the school, and to monitor the implementation of the rules. They give parents an opportunity to be involved in the policy development process. In a nutshell, parents need to take greater interest in their children’s schooling by attending parent-teacher meetings and participating in the SGB election and governing processes.
The role of the Church
Many churches are not capacitated to help their communities deal with this matter. Prayer is always good, but James 2:17 says “faith without works is dead”. Prayer must always be accompanied with and backed by action. Churches need to familiarise themselves with the issues and educate and present solutions and programmes such as FSE to the community and continue to share the message of abstinence outside of marriage.
For more information on FSE, click here.
This article is featured in the April issue of JOY! Magazine, which is now on sale nationwide! Pick up your copy from any leading supermarket, or read a digital version of this issue here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 31/03/2025
DR Pearl Kupe – attorney and consultant to world leaders and international organisations, as well as TV show host on TBN Africa (DSTV channel 343). Visit pearlkupe.co.za or email pearl.kupe@gmail.com
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork from www.freepik.com
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