Women would often see pregnancy as their life’s goal, especially if one meets the person they intend to be and marry. For others, they see pregnancy as a way to begin a new life and family. Nowadays, there are also teenagers who become pregnant due to casual or unprotected sex who would continue their pregnancies even if they have classes to attend. There have also been instances wherein older women entering schools become pregnant and still opted to continue. While some opted to drop out of their schools to wait for their pregnancy, there are a few who braved and continued, seeing the importance of schooling to their families, to their futures and to their children. Many call for pregnant women to drop out of school to concentrate on their health and their children, while a few noted that pregnant women could still study while waiting for their ninth month and adopt strategies to continue after pregnancy. Pregnancy itself would not affect a student’s education, given the available laws and programs launched by education and government institutions to ensure pregnant students can continue their studies even after their birth. While there may be complications upon the pregnant student’s return to school after birth, governments and various school institutions are working hard to ensure that all students, may they be pregnant or not, be given education for their future.
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, at least a half or 51% of pregnant teenagers have high school diplomas than those who did not have teenage pregnancies. There are also chances that teenage mothers are less likely to graduate from high school as some would have a child before getting their diplomas. It is noted that parenthood is the leading cause of drop outs amongst teenage girls, citing pregnancy as the top reason for dropping out from high school. In some records, there are at least 2% of teenage mothers who would complete their education to college by age 30. The chances of drop outs in high school due to pregnancy are high with children of teen mothers than those children from late child bearers. In this extent, it is visible that there is also a learning and developmental gap between children of teenage mothers as those children with older mothers. Studies have shown that children of teen mothers tend to have late development over their cognition, language, and interpersonal skills; disabling them to learn and mingle with their peers. It is also highly unlikely that they start reading books alone or demonstrate their writing ability to their parents, as compared to children of mothers that were 20-21 on their pregnancy. These children tend to also perform badly in school, repeating a grade or even reach high school . In addition to this, some regions, such as in South Africa, rights of pregnant schoolgirls or women are often disputed in terms on continuing their studies. According to the report done by John for Mail and Guardian Africa, communities, especially those from tribes or ethnic groups, would often forbid pregnant students to return to their education. In one statement by Zanele Princess Majola from the KwaZulu-Nata community, she stated:
“Children who fall pregnant while they are at school will never realize that falling pregnant is wrong. A pregnant child must stay at home until she gives birth because her presence at school is disturbing both the teachers and learners”.
While the South African government had believed that education is a right that all children must have, they too stress that some schools would not tolerate pregnant pupils in their institutions as they are highly distracting. In one interview with the past chairperson of Jabulani Technical High School, Boniwe Xulu noted that pregnant pupils in school distract other pupils, especially in cases when these pregnant pupils experience pains. Teachers, according to Xulu, must also concentrate on teaching, not on someone who is feeling pain as it is not their duty. While he had not experienced the act himself, he noted that there have been cases in their school that reports regular students to be asleep as they find themselves copying the pregnant women. This must not be the atmosphere in students, thereby noting how important it is to remove pregnant women in classes. Under the South African basic education department policy on pregnant students, students are permitted to leave school to prepare for labor or other health preparations before their ninth month. However, it is visible that many students drop out, not just because of their pregnancy, but because they felt discriminated. Other schools in the area had also reported pregnant students left school because of the concern of others to their health, while some had harbored a hidden fear on how they could affect their schooling .
Although the numbers and the subsequent instances of allowing pregnant students to forge on suggest the trends in pregnant student statistics for the past few years, it is visible that many are now conscious on the importance of education and are determined to continue their schooling despite being pregnant. With the United States having the highest adolescent pregnancy and birthrate in all of the developed nations, it is a misconception to believe that many of these children want to become pregnant and have no ambitions to go to college. However, several studies have indicated that these pregnant students indeed have their aspirations to go to college and finish their studies. In the study done by the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, noted that out of the 257 pregnant students they have interviewed for the study, the teenagers noted that they wish to continue their education up to college, earning their degree to enter jobs that could support them and their children, thus their plans to go back to school after giving birth. Many of the jobs these students have noted would require a college degree. The study had also noted that with teen mothers achieving only low rates on their educational attainment, there should be an intervention program that would enable these students to finish high school or up to college. The only problem that these students find in continuing their studies is not because of their pregnancy or the fact their schools would prohibit them, it is due to the lack of support from the federal government to launch programs and policies that would support them on continuing their education and how they could pursue a career after their pregnancy. While it is agreeable that pregnancy may slow them down a bit in a physical aspect, it does not mean that they would be affected by it mentally .
In addition to this, pregnant students have been recorded to have reevaluated their focus and educational attainment goals when they become pregnant, making them more eager to finish their degrees and see education in a positive light. Some studies have indicated the increase on school focus for pregnant students with a resolve to graduate with high marks and see a more positive future with a post-graduate degree. Studies have also noted that pregnant students often see that their children fostered and reinforced their belief and interest to continue studying, enabling them to see how important it is to finish schooling for the future of their children and their career. Some pregnant students have even noted finishing school would be a means for them not to rely on public assistance. It could be noted that pregnancy for students is a key for personal transformation and maturity. The state showcases itself when the pregnant student realizes the importance of success, freedom and independence for their futures without endangering their children and their careers. There are also studies that indicated how teenager parents have admitted that having children changed their perception of their life and their future. What makes pregnant students, especially the teenagers, weary and affected negatively while in their studies is the stigma attached to their status. Some administrators and teachers may also find themselves not realizing that under their roster are students who are incoming parents. Eventually, this causes negative results in terms on how these teachers would address these students in times of their developmental training and support. Nonetheless, many students are still eager to finish their studies even with their pregnancies considering that now, the government and the schools themselves offer programs for them to study without disruptions or stigmas .
Governments and schools have also noticed this trend of pregnant students who wish to continue on with their studies despite their situation, and had already worked on programs to ensure these students would be able to continue on with their education despite their pregnancies. For the US, the government had already enforced special policies to accommodate pregnant and parenting students for their education. One of the policies allotted to this group of students is the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act of 2011, which enables states to ensure pregnant and parenting students, could continue their education and be provided assistance on various issues. Under the act, both technical and professional development assistance is provided by coordinators assigned to the state. School districts are also required to provide parenting and pregnant students support services, aid in revising school policies and schedules for pregnant/parenting students, and to serve as encouragement for students to finish their studies. Students are also given grants such as child care services; especially education, and even transportation. Grantees of the Act also receive services such as parenting classes to enable them to cope up with both school and family life. Case management services are open to students under this act, such as health care, mental health and housing services. The act also ensures grantees that the Act can be used by their representatives or lawyers in cases of discrimination and stigmatization in school while studying. The act also requires coordinators to study the trends and the data on both pregnant and parenting students each year, enabling the Act to be revised and updated for any given issue. It is notable that the act fosters a safe environment for pregnant students to continue on with their studies .
Another notable act which had been enforced in schools is Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, covered by the USC sections 1681-1688. Under Title IX, equal opportunity is given to pregnant students, may they be girls or women to ensure that they are not discriminated due to their pregnancy or parenting. One of the reasons pregnant students tend to see education negatively is due to the perceptions of institutions and other students on their situation, leaving them with little options in terms of their studies. They have experienced forced withdrawal from classes, and even denied access to some of the school’s extracurricular and student services despite the presence of Title IX. Nonetheless, under this section, pregnant students are given protection to continue their schooling and have the same equal educational services offered to regular students. It also protects students from discrimination from the student body and school administrators. Under Title IX, regulations are also set to ensure that parenting and pregnant students could cater to their educational activities as well as their pregnancy or parenting needs. These regulations encompass the regulations covering the classroom rules and outside the class. Class attendances are waved for pregnant or parenting students as there may be cases that these students would need to attend to an emergency or appointment. Separate programs to ensure that parenting and pregnant students could catch up in their lessons must also be available and must be voluntary, given that these programs also offer the same opportunities given to non-pregnant students. Absences due to pregnancy or childbirth must also be excused by the school for the duration noted by the doctor of the student. Make-up work must also be given to students, especially if they have missed it due to their pregnancy or any similar condition, especially recovery. Given that teachers and professors award special incentives to those who could attend on classes regularly, pregnant or parenting students must also be given this similar incentive especially to earn back any credits they have missed due to their emergencies. Aside from allowing make-up work to be given to the students, tutoring must also be given to these students. If the school offers tutoring or homebound instructions to students with medical conditions or disabilities, these schools must also the same services to parenting and pregnant students given the nature of their situation. Schools must also enable these students to continue participating in school activities, especially the extracurricular ones as this would enable these student to mingle with their peers and earn extra credit. Scholarships must also continue even if the scholar in question is pregnant .
Given the available options for pregnant students, it is also important for the pregnant student to assess all options before deciding to give up on their school work just because of their unique status. Nowadays, students are given the freedom to work on their schedules, and access to health care facilities and services allotted for members of the student body. Schools nowadays offer assistance, in terms of how students could schedule their classes and their exams. Some even offer the choice for students to undergo medical leave of absences to cater to their treatment and recovery. Plus there are also mediums nowadays that schools offer to ensure that students could study even at their home and be assessed the same way. There are many more options available for students should they find themselves in the predicament of pregnancy in their school years. The options are endless and pregnant students must open themselves to these options before forsaking themselves of a limited future for their children.
Pregnancy is a gift that not all women could enjoy given the circumstances that is required to experience it. This idea also goes the same for education considering that nowadays, many are deprived of this right due to their financial and social capacities. While people deem it negative for students to become pregnant while in school, it is unfair to deny them of their rights to education as this would also mean that one is being defaulted of a bright future with a diploma. Not all young mothers also wanted to be pregnant in their studies and given the nature of the importance of life, they are still eager to continue on with their studies after pregnancy. Some even note that being pregnant while in school is the clincher for them to reassess their future and goals. It is not preventing these pregnant students to enter schools that would make them realize the mistake they have done while in school, it is important that these pregnant students would not be stigmatized due to it and teach others the risks and benefits it could ensue. As for the pregnant students, it would not do them good if they are prevented from continuing their studies, it is important that they would be assisted as even they have the right to a good future for themselves and their children.
Works Cited
John, Victoria. "Preventing pupils' pregnant pause." Mail and Guardian News, 23 May 2012. Web. 29 November 2012 <http://mg.co.za/article/2012-05-23-preventing-pupils-pregnant-pause>.
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teen Pregnancy and Education." The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Website, March 2010. Web. 29 November 2012 <http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/why-it-matters/pdf/education.pdf>.
National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education. "Pregnant and Parenting Students: Often Left Behind." Maatz, Lisa, Fatima Graves and Constance Cordovilla. Title IX: Working to Ensure Gender Equity in Education. Washington, D.C: National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, 2012. 55-62. Print.
National Women's Law Center. "Fact Sheet: Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act." National Women's Law Center, 5 August 2011. Web. 30 November 2012 <http://www.nwlc.org/resource/fact-sheet-pregnant-and-parenting-students-access-education-act>.
Texas Comprehensive Center. Teenage Parents and Their Educational Attainment. Briefing Paper. Austin: Texas Comprehensive Center, 2011. Print.
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. "Women & Infants researcher: Pregnant Teens Want to Go to College, Need Support." Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island: Press Release, 9 February 2011. Web. 29 November 2012 <http://www.womenandinfants.org/news/Women-and-Infants-researcher-Pregnant-Teens-Want-to-Go-to-College-Need-Support.cfm>.
