In the first quarter of 2021, more than 36,000 babies were delivered to girls between the ages of ten and 19. Whilst this figure produced a public outcry, such a statistic is nothing new. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) annual report in 2014 reflected that over 18,000 learners had fallen pregnant. By the end of 2020, the number sat at 33,000. But the focus should not only be on the number of learners falling pregnant and should also be on the serious implications this has on the right to education. In September 2021, the Department of Education (DBE), briefing the Portfolio Committee o…