Learner pregnancy in South Africa's Eastern Cape: The Factors affecting adolescent girls' school withdrawal during pregnancy. (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jochim, Janina; Cluver, Lucie D.; Meinck, Franziska
• Is Part Of: International journal of educational development. Volume 87(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: adolescent girls and young women -- adolescent pregnancy -- adolescent mothers -- schooling -- school dropout -- education -- South Africa; Education -- Periodicals; Education -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Education -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; Éducation -- Périodiques; Education; Periodicals; 370.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102484
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0738-0593

Abstract

Highlights: South Africa's school policy aims to protect pregnant learners and learners with children but schools might be losing a quarter of girls due to pregnancy. The vast majority of girls were enrolled in school at the beginning of their pregnancy, but most girls who discontinued school during the pregnancy had left school by the first trimester. Withdrawal from school during the pregnancy was associated with higher poverty, higher grade repetition, an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, and greater lack of information about the pregnancy. Given the overall high enrolment rates, the extension of school-based services that identify pregnant adolescents at risk for dropout may be feasible to ensure that girls remain enrolled in school late into their pregnancy. Abstract: An early pregnancy often puts an end to a girls' education. However, few studies have investigated which factors affect adolescents' school discontinuation during pregnancy. This study interviewed 1, 046 adolescent mothers from the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. The results showed that a quarter of school-going adolescent girls withdrew from school during the pregnancy - many as early as the first trimester. School withdrawal was associated with higher poverty, higher grade repetition, an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, and greater lack of information about the pregnancy. Given the high enrolment rates at the onset of the pregnancy, school-based services may provide an opportunity to identify which girls require substantial support to remain in education throughout pregnancy, using a history of poor school performance as an indicator for dropout.