1.0 INTRODUCTION
(BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY)
Teenage pregnancy is simply defined as a teenaged or underage girl becoming pregnant. The
term connotes that the girl has not yet reached legal adulthood before conceiving. A teenage girl
may become pregnant because of various reasons or situations but all teenage pregnancies are a
result of sexual activities either voluntary or not. One of the most traumatic and devastating
effects of teenage pregnancy is making it difficult for the girl to continue with her education.
Drop-out rates, repeaters, poor scoring and inability to graduate are some of the academic
consequences of teenage pregnancy (Hofferth et al, 2001).
Various literatures exist on attempt to identify causes, effects and possible solution to the
consequences of teenage pregnancy on education. The aim of this study is to identify the loop
holes or the weakness in such write-ups and to explore possibility of identifying a solution to the
afore mentioned problem.
This paper proposes to explore how teenage pregnancy affects academic progression. As a
student, pregnant teenagers are also expected to meet a minimum rate of academic progress.
When we say academic progress, it means passing 50% of the credit points for the subjects that
they are enrolled over the duration of the course. Progression status is based on course status,
multiple fails and assessment guide.
Anglican D/A J.S.S is one of the public junior secondary schools located in the
Abetifi Traditional Area of the Eastern Region of Ghana. It has the population
of about () most of whom are teenagers. As a public junior secondary school
its aim is to train or prepare its product for second cycle institutions and
subsequently other levels of formal education. Recruitment of qualified
teachers, maintenance of discipline and pursuit of academic excellence are
but few of the measures being taken by the school to achieve its goal. As a
public institution, the Kwahu district education directorate of the Ghana
Education Service, the Kwahu traditional council assists in the provision of
teaching and learning materials needed to accomplish these goals of the
organization. Capitation grants which is one of the policy of the central
government aims at providing free compulsory universal basic education for
all children of school going age is enjoyed by this school.
The study is intended to help the authors identify areas where the school fall
short and to make recommendation regarding other policy documentation,
implementation and evaluation options that can be instituted to control
teenage pregnancy in the school
For the purpose of this study the objectives have been grouped into general
and specific.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
SPECIFICE OBJECTIVES
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
The study is also limited to the information gathered from or provided by the
Abetifi Anglican D/A J.H.S
The study is further limited to the knowledge gained by the authors in a four
year study in the university.
The school can also provide easy access to the research given the limited
constraint of time and finances. Apart from that, owing to the location of the
school, the social background of the teenagers is generally heterogeneous.
1.7 METHODOLOGY
Primary and secondary data will used for the study. Administering of
questionnaire, personal interviews. Although the preparation of the
questionnaire may take some time, it is believed that we will be able to
obtain the needed responses from respondents as early as possible given the
time frame of the project. Use of the personal interviews will also be our
means of complementing the data collection with the questionnaire as the
former is cheaper and above all will enable us cover as many respondents as
possible within the school.
With the secondary data collection, write-ups from the internet, books,
journals, blogs, newspapers etc. These we believe will provide ready access
to the information we will need given the limited time constraint and at a
lower cost. We believe that we will be able to obtain a greater sample size to
improve on the degree of accuracy of our research.
The second chapter covers the literature review relevant to the topic.
Chapter three, various methods used in the research will be dealt with, this
includes the type of research methodology used, population, sample and
sampling procedures, research instruments (Questionnaires etc)
administration of research instruments and methods for data analysis.
Chapter four presents the analysis of both the primary data and the
information received.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In the United States for instance is defined as a minor law underage girl
becoming pregnant. However, in the United Kingdom there is a legal
definition whereby the woman is considered to be a pregnant teenager if she
becomes pregnant before her eighteenth birthday. The term in everyday
usually refer to women who have not reached the age of majority legal
adulthood, which varies across the world who becomes pregnant.
Presently, the US is seeing the highest rate of infant born to single mothers
in its entire history. 33% of infants are born to single mothers. The reason for
this is because of advances in medical technology. The development of
vitamins and other changes in nutrition have changed the average age at
which women can become pregnant. 100 years ago, the average age for
women to become pregnant was 18 years old, mostly because of poor
nutrition. Now that we are more educated and our diets have been altered so
that women receive better nutrition, the average age that a woman can
become pregnant is 12 to 13 years old (Diana Zuckerman)(2008).
Many people have looked at the causes of teenage pregnancy from different
perspective among them are;
According to Abern Nethy (1974), found out that pregnant adolescent have
low self esteem which highly correlated with their engagement in sex and
the risk of pregnancy. Another interesting revelation had to do with the
relationship between teenage pregnancy and the potency of their boyfriend
sexually.
Girls often win the affection their boyfriends by having a child since the
pregnancy confirms the Youngman’s man hood. Becoming independent;
trying to be equal to their mother; to be like other pregnant friends; and to
signal for help, among others (Kandell, 1979, and Musick 1993)
Salguero 1984; Auerbasch, Nathan and Ohara 1985 argue that the two
explanatory devices used for black teen pregnancy and early sexual activity
rates are values and poverty.
Peter Sams (2008) a teenager girl gets scared when she comes to know
about her unplanned teen pregnancy. This could be hard to believe and
difficult to express. She cannot disclose this serious matter to anyone and in
some cases not to even her boyfriend because of whom she became
pregnant. She cannot decide whether to keep a baby or drop it. The teenage
girl become mentally disturbed and may start some addiction. There will be
fear of losing social image among friends and relatives. He further argues
that some of the emotional effects teenage pregnancy can have on a
teenage mother include frustration that she cannot on any subject, confusion
that she cannot make positive decisions, fear that she cannot disclose the
matter to anyone and stops talking, resentments that she gets angry trifle
matters.
The teenager who becomes pregnant in most cases either for fear of
stigmatization or scolding result to abortion. Sometimes the method exposes
her to a lot of health hazards. Peter Sams 2008 suppose this view and adds
that abortion is illegal in most developing countries.
Peter Sams further argues that in general teen mothers have much lower of
educational achievements than other women, which severely limit their
career options and sharply increase their likelihood of economic dependency.
This automatically impacts on their ability to bring their children up
effectively
Wilhelm Reich argues that sex education either formally through the schools
or informally through a communication either a friend or a family will go a
long way to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy. However, according
to Gordon and Dockman (1977) even though parents do not typically provide
their children accurate sexual information or any sexual information many
feel that they should be the ones responsible for educating their children
sexualities.
Ellen, Philiber and Hoggson 1990 do not think that prevention programmes
must not only be a choice between use and non use of contraceptives and
abstinence but also complimenting the two of school days programmes.
They promulgate school days outreach programmes which encourage
students to perform volunteer services in their communities.
CONCLUSION
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indeed and would be ruled as they rightly deserve.” - ERIC AYOOLA.