Teenage Pregnancies and the Re-Entry Policy into Schools: Perceptions from the Education Stakeholders in Umguza District

Abstract

Despite the ramifications of international protocols and conventions which spearheaded the introduction of the school’s re-entry policy, gender disparities in accessing education continue to hinder the girl child from accessing education which is a fundamental right. Therefore, this research was triggered by the realization that there is continuous dropout of pregnant and mothering girls from school hence, the need to research on the perceptions of education stakeholders on the schools’ re-entry policy. The theory of action was used to form the basis of the study and qualitative research methodology was utilized to capture both the views and perception of the community in tapping into the school’s re-entry policy. This study was of significance to the Government of Zimbabwe in general, and to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in particular, as it offered an opportunity to get public feedback on the policy and recommendations on strengthening the enforcement of the policy. Purposive sampling was used in the study to target various girls who has fallen pregnant during their studies using the key informant guide and focus group discussions were used to gather the community perceptions on the school’s reentry policy. A sample of 20 people was used to draw up the findings of the study. The research managed to reveal that communities are deeply entrenched in patriarchal systems that promote early child marriages. The education stakeholders have conflicted perceptions on the policy as they acknowledge the benefits of the policy but then these are overridden by the negative perceptions that view the policy as promoting promiscuity and delinquent behavior among young people. It was also revealed that communities are less knowledgeable about all the facets of the policy. The study revealed that pregnant and mothering girls fail to get support from the immediate family, community and friends hence perpetuating child marriages. It can be noted that the policy is a great initiative in promoting access to education for girls but there is need to create conducive environment for the pregnant and mothering girls to be supported in their studies. There is also a need for the government to strengthen community structures to ensure that it’s mandatory for pregnant and mothering girls to go to school.