Why Am I Not Able to Return to School After Delivery? A Study of Teenage Mothers in La-Nkantanang Madina

Abstract

This study sought to investigate why teenage mothers do not return to school after delivery in the La- Nkantanang Madina. The objectives of the study were: to examine social-cultural factors which prevent teenage mothers from returning to school after delivery; to examine institutional factors which prevent teenage mothers from returning to school after delivery, and to ascertain the extent of students and teachers knowledge about the existence of policies for the reincorporation of teenage mothers into the formal school scheme. The study used the mixed method approach for arriving at the sample size which in sourcing for teenage mothers to participate in this study. The results showed teenage mothers agreed that teenage mothers who may decide to resume school after delivery encounter several challenges. Among these was the lack of financial support, lack of child care centers, stigmatization, discrimination, lack of guidance and counselling and family rejection and mockery. There was also the revelation that teenage mothers are judged to be immoral and assumed to be social threats. The study recommended that Non-Governmental Organizations, the Girl Education Unit and Ghana Education Service should work in partnership to put a stop to all forms of stigmatization and discrimination against teenage mothers who may want to go back to school. Parents should support and assist teenage mothers financially to enable them to go back to school after delivery In Addition, all female students should be taken through series of workshops to create their awareness on the policy of re-entry to school after delivery. All female students should also be taken through the mandates of the Girls’ Education Unit (GEU) on re-admission into schools following a dropout.