Cape Town - Six local primary schools will take part in a City of Cape Town foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) educational initiative to increase awareness about its far-reaching effects.
The programme will use a specially designed baby simulator (a doll) which teaches pupils about the effects of FAS on children and also exposes them to the realities of child care.
Ferial Soeker, of the City’s department of social and early childhood development, said the simulator would be life-like, with its texture made to feel like skin. It cries the way a child would, and also resembles the facial features of a child born with FAS, she said.
Five of the schools have given permission to be named – Isiphiwo Primary School in Khayelitsha; Bokmakierie Primary School in Athlone; Gardenia Primary School in Belhar; Stratford Primary School in Eerste Rivier; and Delta Primary School in Steenberg.
The City said the roll-out of the programme started three weeks ago.
The primary schools have been identified by the City’s social development portfolio committee and the project will reach 120 Grade 7 pupils – 20 per school – by June. The programme will also address substance abuse and emphasise the importance of abstinence and safe sexual practices.
“The effects of foetal alcohol syndrome are permanent and irreversible.
“There is no cure or treatment, and FAS seriously impairs a child’s lifetime ability to function mentally, physically and socially. The longer-term effects include undue financial and emotional strain on families who have to manage the disability,” said Mayco member for social development and early childhood development Suzette Little.
“The reality is that in some cases young children are being exposed to, and engaging in, sexual activities and substance abuse. We are specifically targeting Grade 7 pupils because they are more receptive to development programmes and internalise the learning far more quickly.
”Recent reports around the debate about condom distribution in schools indicated that there were more than 2 500 pregnant learners in our province at the end of last year – 78 of them in primary school.”
Little said that teen binge drinking was another concern and that it was important for the City to discuss these topics with pupils, adding that “we can’t simply put our heads in the sand and pretend that these issues don’t exist”.
Francis Grobbelaar, of FASfacts, an NGO which aims to educate the general public on the effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, said it was good pupils are informed about FAS at a young age.
“Any step to create awareness is a good move. We have found that at the ages of 12, 13 and 14, it is a very good age to introduce issues like this.
“Educating Grade 6 and 7 learners reaches them at a time when they start receiving information about alcohol and sexuality… At this age they are also able to absorb the information easily.”
Cape Times