Learner pregnancy is regarded as a major concern and a serious threat to gender parity in education. Addressing learner pregnancy is not a challenge facing only Department of Education, it is a battle that requires the active involvement of all stakeholders that is educators, Non -governmental organisation, Department of Education, Health and Social Development. The rate of learner pregnancy in public schools, prompted the Department of Education to release the policy of Learner Pregnancy Policy which ensures the rights of pregnant learners to continue with schools. The policy is based on prevention and management. This research study investigate how schools implement learner pregnancy policy. The objectives of the study are: • To investigate how schools encourage the prevention strategies of learner pregnancy policy; • To investigate how schools manage learner pregnancy; • To identify how Department of Education are involved in monitoring of the schools in implementing the pregnant learner policy. The study was conducted in four targeted high schools in the Lichtenburg area A qualitative approach and quantitative approach was used. Questionnaires and interviews were used as instruments. A purposeful sampling of 100 educators and 10 managers was selected. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for data analysis. The Findings of the study revealed that schools are not doing enough to provide learners with prevention strategies of learner pregnancy; Even though the policy encourages managers and educators to support learners who are pregnant, educators and managers still need to encourage pregnant learners to continue with their education when they are pregnant in line with the policy. Department of Education does not monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy regularly in schools. Recommendation of the study revealed that: Learners must be engaged in extra mural activities to keep them busy, Educators and managers must help, support and encourage pregnant learners to continue with their education and that the Provincial Department of Education must appoint a person at the department to monitor the effectiveness of the policy in schools, to visits schools regularly and to ensure their compliance. / Thesis (M. Ed (Educational Psychology) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2013

Thesis (MPH)-- University of Limpopo, 2012. / Background: A number of initiatives have been implemented in South Africa to prevent and reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy. These includes sex education as part of the Life Skills Programme in schools, roll-out of Youth Friendly Services (YFS) in government clinics and funding programmes such as Lovelife which combines a highly visible sustained national multi-media sex education and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. However, these campaigns do not reach most teenagers in the rural areas such as in Moshana village. Teenage pregnancy has been recognized as one of the major problems affecting the learners of Mpolokang High School Aim: The aim of the study was to explore factors contributing to teenage pregnancy within the secondary school environment Methods: This was an exploratory and descriptive study. Focus group interviews were conducted with the learners from Grade 10 – 12, aged 15 - 19. Results: It was found that factors contributing to teenage pregnancy at Mpolokang High School were openness and transparency, sexual practices, access to the government grant, peer influence, lack of recreational facilities, substance abuse by the learners and attitudes of Health Care Workers at Moshana clinic. Conclusion: From this study, it can be concluded that although sex education is now part of the Life Skills programme in schools, teenagers still fall pregnant due to lack of openness and transparency when discussing sexual matters.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of requirement for the degree of MA (Counseling Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2009. / Teenage pregnancy is an ever increasing problem that is facing South Africa. Curbing teenage pregnancy is the great challenge that is facing the country as a whole. This study investigated teenagers* perceptions of early teenage pregnancy and their suggested solutions. Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning was used to understand their reasoning. A total of 40 females from semi-rural school and semi-urban school were randomly selected to participate in the study. Participants were in grade five to grade eight. Questionnaires with open-ended questions were utilized to collect data. The qualitative data was in the form of written words, the data was analyzed, categories and put into themes which were later generalized. Whereas the quantitative data was coded into numerical forms, and to which statistical analyses may be applied to determine the significance of the findings. Teenage perceptions about teenage pregnancy were discovered, factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy and the possible suggestions were supplied in the later stages of the study. In conclusion, teenage pregnancy is not only affecting the government, it also affects teenagers themselves, families, communities and the country as a whole. To curb this pandemic, we need to work together as citizen of South Africa to come up with strategies or ways of dealing with this current problem. / National Research Fund (NRF)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2000. / The aim of this study was to investigate the life-world of the schoolgirl-mother. The study commenced with an orientation framework in which the problem of the high incidence of teenage pregnancies was analyzed. The orientation to this study is followed by a chapter concerning the design of the research, substantiating the choice of format, methods of data collection and analysis. A qualitative research method was chosen on account of its explorative, descriptive and contextual nature. Data was collected by means of interviews with schoolgirl-mothers. The data was analyzed by using a phenomenological approach in which emerging themes were identified. This was followed by a literature review to compare and complement the qualitative data analysis. The results from the qualitative research showed that adolescent girls are not adequately informed about the meaning of the onset of menarche and this lack of authentic knowledge may result in teenage pregnancy while still in school. Most girls fell pregnant between the ages of 15 and 17 years. Schoolgirl-mothers also indicated their lack of knowledge concerning the availability and use of contraceptives. The study revealed a relation between socio-economic status and teenage pregnancy and a recurrence of adolescent parents with each new generation. Teenage pregnancy is associated with interruption in schooling and school dropout. In the literature review the life-world of the schoolgirl-mother was discussed. She can only form a meaningful life-world by forming meaningful relationships with the self, other people, things and ideas and religion. Being a teenage mother causes these relationships to become impaired because the girl is not mature enough or emotionally ready for the responsibilities of motherhood. The study concludes with findings from the research and the following recommendations were made: Accountable sexuality education must be available to all teenagers. Clinics must be easily accessible with adequately equipped personnel to assist teenagers on all aspects of sexuality.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect pregnancy has on a schoolgirl’s education. The focus was on secondary schools in the Pietermaritzburg district in KwaZulu-Natal. An introductory literature review was provided of the reasons for the high prevalence of pregnancy amongst schoolgirls. Research conducted during 2011 in South Africa has found that by the age of 18 years more than thirty percent (31,5%) of girls have given birth at least once. At a meeting on June 2012, the MEC for education in KwaZulu-Natal acknowledged that schoolgirls are falling pregnant in their thousands. Conditions under which the problem of schoolgirl pregnancy occurs is not homogeneous and may vary from one demographic background to another. Schoolgirl pregnancy is mostly associated with frequent sex without reliable or no contraception, peer pressure, inadequate knowledge about sexuality, sexual coercion, proof of fertility, poor socio-economic conditions and promiscuity. Schoolgirl pregnancy affects the educational success of most teenage girls in South Africa. Although a schoolgirl is allowed to return to school after the birth of her baby she is faced with many challenges in trying to cope with the demands of motherhood and schooling simultaneously. Therefore many pregnant girls drop out of school and continue the poverty cycle in which they are trapped. Research has established that pregnancy and motherhood have a profound impact on the mother and child by placing limits on her educational achievement and economic stability as well as predisposing her to single parenthood. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire was utilized to obtain educators perceptions concerning the effect of pregnancy on a schoolgirl’s education. A quantitative descriptive analysis was undertaken of the completed questionnaires. In conclusion a summary of the study and findings emanating from the literature and empirical investigation were presented. Based on these findings the following recommendations were made: • The Department of Education must ensure that an effective sexuality programme is offered at all schools. The programme should focus on prevention of pregnancy and second chance opportunities for schoolgirl mothers. • The government in collaboration with education departments should establish health clinics that are linked to schools.

Submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2010. / Teenage pregnancy in high schools is one of the major concerns among education stakeholders in Lesotho. This observation warrants an investigation into how teachers perceive this phenomenon. The study sought among other things to identify factors teachers perceive to be contributing to teenage pregnancy, including the consequences. A descriptive research design was used and purposive sampling was employed to identify participating schools and participants from the Qacha's Nek district of Lesotho. A purposive sample was deemed appropriate for this study. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire and was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The results of this study indicate that teachers have negative perceptions towards teenage pregnancy. The findings of this study also reveal that factors such as gender, age, grade level and teaching experience influence perceptions of teachers towards teenage pregnancy. The study also reveals factors that teachers conceive of as causes of teenage pregnancy, including the consequences of teenage pregnancy.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Education Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aims of the study are:  To establish what the reasons are for the high number of pregnant girls in schools.  To reveal the consequences of schoolgirl pregnancy.  To find out the nature of the support available for pregnant schoolgirls.

The purpose of this thesis is to comparatively explore a selection of policies relating to teenage pregnancy in Finland and Scotland. Although much comparative research has explored teenage pregnancy and policy relating to it in England with other countries, very little work has explored either the policy situation within Scotland or comparatively explored Scottish policy responses to teenage pregnancy with other countries. Although the trends in teenage pregnancy rates are similar between England and Scotland, there are noted policy differences between the two countries that warrant further exploration of the situation particular to Scotland. Finland presents an interesting comparison for Scotland, in particular due to a number of important constants that exist including; the sexual behaviour rates of young people, the legal age of heterosexual consent and similar ages of first intercourse, and yet considerably lower rates of teenage pregnancy. Between the 1970s and 1980s the rate of teenage pregnancy declined in both Finland and Scotland. Since that time Finland has witnessed further decline, whilst the rate in Scotland has remained relatively unchanged. Utilising a variety of primary and secondary data including in-depth interviews with key personnel at three levels of policy development and implementation: government, local authority/ municipality and schools, as well as policy documentation from both countries, this research has located, mapped and comparatively analysed three areas of policy relating to teenage pregnancy: sex education, sexual health and education. The findings of this research illustrate that policy developed in Finland since the 1970s has taken a pragmatic approach to the prevention of unintended teenage pregnancy, combining sex education provision in a range of core subjects throughout the curriculum at the school level with a national system of school nurses located in school-based clinics. Additionally, the Finnish education system was structured in such a way from 1970 so as to olf"fer a high, level of vocational and academic choice at the school level and actively encourage a high level of continuation beyond the age of sixteen. In relation to policy development in Scotland, the findings of this research illustrate that whilst the foundations for successful future policy development are now present, policy developed prior to the mid-1990s failed to meet the needs of young people in Scotland in relation to the provision of sex education, sexual health services and educational choice at the school level beyond academically orientated examinations. Since the mid-1990s there have been changes in the direction of policy within the areas under exploration. Whilst a level of complacency appears to have set in with regard to the lower level of teenage abortion in Finland, the opposite has been occurring in Scotland, with raised awareness of the sexual health rights and needs of young people being placed at the forefront of policy development. As this thesis has detailed, the various changes have the potential to influence the rates of teenage pregnancy in both countries, negatively in Finland and positively in Scotland. In addition to highlighting potential policy options to aid in the future reduction of unintended teenage pregnancy in Scotland, a better understanding of the relationship that each area of policy has to teenage pregnancy has also been developed within this thesis. The findings contribute to the on-going debate concerning a number of important areas, first, the provision of `effective' sex education, second, the necessity to base sexual health services on the needs of young people and third, the importance that continued education post-16 can play as an indirect means to delaying pregnancy and parenthood.