Teaching with a difference
Falcon Educational School, based in Dawn Park, has been successful in preventing teen pregnancy when it comes to their students.
“We motivate students, and focus on encouraging them and incorporating morals in our teaching. We preach abstinence and not prevention,” says principal Marise Kisten, who is proud that the school achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in last year’s matric examinations.
Kisten has been with the school for 14 years and has been the principal for the past four years.
She suggests that the cause of teen pregnancy is lack of attention from their homes.
“Learners whose parents aren’t always there for them look towards drugs, sex and alcohol to fill the void of lack of love and support,” she says.
Kisten says the school management has an open-door policy, and assists students as far as possible, roping in outside help if deemed necessary.
“Most learners come from single homes, or broken homes, and have stepparents or no parents. When the learner misbehaves or drops their grades, we pick it up, call the parents and intervene,” she adds.
Kisten emphasises that a child’s education and upbringing is a triangle, and is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the teachers.
Learners from the school, Winona Rygaardt (18), Godsgift Shabangu (18), Leona Berman (16), Sibusiso Mkhombe (17), Charmaine Chingono (17), are in Grades 11 and 12, respectively.
Shabangu blames poverty as the cause of teen pregnancy, and Rygaardt blames the community for not creating recreational activities for teens to keep occupied during weekends.
Mkhombe says the cause is lack of communication from parents who are too ashamed to talk openly about sex, causing teens to act on their curiosity.
“Teen pregnancy affects girls more than guys. It’s a matter of choice, whether you want to be just a male or a gentleman by taking responsibility for your actions,” says Shabangu.
“There are no father figures, just bad influences in our society,” says Mkhombe.
The learners applaud the teachers at Falcon Educational School for doing their best in teaching them that there is a great future of success that awaits them if they complete school.
“We have teachers who calls us into order and keeps us grounded,” says Shabangu.
Rygaardt says the teachers monitor how the children dress, and reminding them how young women must behave.
