Educational achievement tracking for teen mothers in South Africa with specific reference to Vhembe District

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the educational participation and achievement of teen mothers in South Africa with specific reference to the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. This study also aimed to find out the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, attendance at school, and academic perfomance by teen mothers in the Vhembe District schools. The study sought to establish whether teenage motherhood has an effect on academic performance as perceived by educators. Sixty teenage mothers, eighteen teachers and six principals were purposively sampled for the study. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and focus group interviews to give the researcher a platform to ask open-response questions and to explore the educators’ perspective about academic performance, attendance at school and the educational achievements of teenage mothers. The data was analysed thematically. This was done by carefully identifying and expanding significant themes that emerged from the informants’ perceptions about the academic performance, attendance, and educational achievement of teenage mothers. The study revealed that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and teen motherhood have a negative effect on school attendance and the academic perfomanceof the teenagers compared to their peers who are not pregnant.The study recommends that sex education should be taken seriously in secondary schools; educators should be trained and given skills to deal with both pregnant learners and teen mothers. Government should introduce a new method of disbursing the child support grant. There should be a provision of moblie clinics in schools so that both pregnant learners and teen mothers can be supported and not humiliated or stigmatized by peers and educators.