Exploring attitudes of parents, teachers and students towards re-admission of pregnant school girls after delivery:a case of Ilala municipality, Tanzania

This study based on exploring attitudes of parents, teachers and students towards re-admission of pregnant school girls after delivery. The objectives were to examine factors responsible for school girls’ pregnancy, investigate the attitudes of the society towards re-admission of pregnant school girls after delivery, explore societal views on the effectiveness of sex education in reducing the magnitude of risk sexual behaviours in schools and explore possible alternatives in cases where re-admission isn’t possible. The study consisted of 542 respondents of which 100 were parents, 150 teachers and 292 students were randomly selected, while Parents were selected from their respective children who are studying in those primary and secondary schools. The study used a descriptive survey design and quantitative approach where data were collected through questionnaires. It was coded and analysed using Pearson chi-square, independent t-tests and ANOVA where data were entered in the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 in which statistical significant p-value was calculated and used for interpretation of results for this study it was p≤ .05 and confidence level of 0.95(CL of 95%). The results showed that all respondents opined that the prominent factors responsible for school girls’ pregnancy were sexual coercion and humiliation, the influence of media and peer pressure. More than 80% of parents, teachers and students had positive attitudes towards re-admission, using t-test there were variations between parents, teachers and students’ opinions with their gender with p= .05 for parents, p= .094 for teachers and p= .07 for students. Also there were agreements that sex education will reduce school girls’ pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and fertility rate, will bring the knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and will reduce adolescent problem behaviours. The t-test results also revealed that there were no variations between gender and their opinions about sex education, where sex education should start at standard seven. To conclude, the study showed that the prominent factors responsible for school girls’ pregnancies can be reduced through sex education but the alternative measures in case re-admission isn’t possible includes provision of vocational and entrepreneur skills, establishment of evening programmes in schools and special schools for teen mothers. The study recommends that there must be an immediate action for law and policy makers to review the education act and the policy by either allowing girls back to school after delivery or make certain necessary favourable conditions for these girls to continue with school.