Parental perceptions towards reintegration of pregnant girls and teenage mothers into the education system in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study examines parents’ perceptions of reentry, and socio-cultural and economic factors responsible for their perceptions in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo. This follows an amendment to the Education Act prohibiting the expulsion of pregnant girls from school. We employed a parallel mixed methods design and selected 384 parents (who filled out questionnaires) through stratified sampling and 23 parents (who were interviewed) through convenience sampling. Data were analysed using SPSS and NVivo. Findings reflect that 68% (n = 250) of parents hold negative perceptions of reentry. We then established that cultural and religious beliefs and fear of family humiliation were some of the socio-cultural factors influencing parents’ perceptions. Moreover, we found that fears of economic loss and the chances of a better future for girls were some of the economic factors influencing parents’ perceptions. We then suggested that community sensitisation and an explicit reentry policy document are needed if parents’ perceptions are to change.