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Barriers to learning: Unveiling systemic obstacles for teen mothers in Tanzania
What you need to know:
- Despite official mandates granting young mothers access to education, this investigation uncovers systemic breakdowns, primarily within the teaching profession, that persistently impede their right to learn
Kisarawe. In Kisarawe, a district within Tanzania’s Coast Region, the promise of a second chance at education for teen mothers remains largely unfulfilled.
Despite government directives allowing young mothers to return to school, this investigation uncovers systemic failures, notably at the hands of educators, that continue to obstruct their right to education.
Take the case of Jenipha*, a 20-year-old resident who sought to return to school in 2023 after giving birth two years prior.
Her hopes were dashed when her school’s head teacher turned her away.
“I was told to wait until proper procedures were made available,” Jenipha recalls.
“The headteacher told me that the school was still unable to accept me. I was discouraged, honestly.”
The head teacher, whose name is withheld, cited the lack of a legal framework for the re-entry of teen mothers as the primary reason for finding it hard to admit her.
However, despite numerous challenges in some areas, there are students who have been returning to school and others continuing with alternative paths following the government’s directive for all students to return to school.
In June 2023, the ministry of Education, Science, and Technology reported that by January 2023, 1,907 students who had become pregnant had returned to school to continue their secondary education.
Although the current data was not immediately available for The Citizen, the government’s statement indicated that some students were already returning despite existing obstacles.
According to the Kisarawe District education office, only one student has successfully returned to the formal system, while five others have found opportunities under the SEQUIP project.
“There is one student who returned to the formal system, but there are others who are continuing their training in Chalinze and Mlandizi under the SEQUIP project,” said the Kisarawe Adult Education Officer, Sango.
However, Jenipha’s incident, although the office denied the existence of such blockages, highlighted a broader issue: the persistent non-compliance with educational directives aimed at reintegrating teen mothers into the school system.
In November 2021, Tanzania’s ministry of Education issued Education Circular No. 2, reversing the policy that barred teen mothers from returning to formal education.
This was followed by the issuance of specific guidelines in February 2022 to help school administrations prepare for and support these returning students.
However, the measures have not been effectively implemented. “Firstly, I do not have counsellors, and the number of teachers is small compared to the students,” the head teacher explains.
“But we also do not want to rush and end up harming other students, who are also at risk.”
This sentiment reflects a widespread hesitation among educators, driven by insufficient resources and fear of backlash from the community.
The lack of proper implementation is not just an administrative oversight but a fundamental violation of the right to education enshrined in the Tanzanian Constitution.
In article 11(3), the government will make efforts to ensure that all people have equal and adequate opportunities to enable them to receive education and vocational training at all levels of schools and other training institutions.
Further, the Education and Training Policy of 2014, updated in 2023, emphasises eliminating barriers to education, affirming it as a right.
There is also the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, which insists that girls who dropped out of school due to pregnancies should return to school.
By endorsing these agreements, the government of Tanzania verified its commitment to protecting the rights of girls.
As such, expelling teenage mothers for pregnancy contradicts these policies and infringes on children’s educational rights.
Jennifer’s story is not unique. Interviews with several other teen mothers revealed a similar pattern of disappointment and exclusion.
One young mother shared, “I met with my class teacher, and he advised me it was better if I didn’t return to school and instead looked for other activities to do.”
Anita*, another young mother from Maneromango Secondary, illustrates the human cost of this systemic failure.
“I intended to return to school in 2022, but my parents, local government leaders, and some teachers said those (the circular) were just statements; I should not go to spoil other students,” she recalls.
Faced with ridicule and a lack of support, Anita moved to Ngongolamboto with her uncle to escape the stigma and is now considering vocational training instead.
In Kisarawe District alone, an official report from 2020 indicated that 229 students dropped out of school, with 27 of these cases due to pregnancy.
Nationally, the numbers are staggering: between 2017 and 2021, 28,971 students dropped out due to pregnancy, yet only 1,692 returned to continue their education after giving birth.
Outdated regulation
The reluctance to reintegrate teen mothers into the school system is deeply rooted in outdated regulations.
The 2002 Education Act regulations, which apply to all public primary and post-primary schools, set criteria for expulsion, including offences against morality or entering into wedlock.
This has been broadly interpreted to include pregnancy outside of marriage, leading to the unjust expulsion of many students.
Concerning the issued education circular no. 2 and guidelines for re-entry of teen mothers to school, a legal expert from the Dar es Salaam Law School, Mr Tony Wilbroad, provides a different argument.
“I can’t digest such teachers’ defense. Any Circular is a regulation that doesn’t wait for the law to be implemented.
They are very wrong if they deny students a chance to study with such an argument,” he affirms.
However, the need for legislation is underscored by findings from a recent HakiElimu report, which highlighted that many girls failed to return to school due to stigma and the lack of supportive laws.
The report revealed that head teachers often contribute to the problem by refusing to accept students who have given birth, despite guidelines urging them to do so.
“There are head teachers who refuse to accept students who have given birth, despite the guidelines giving them the responsibility to encourage girls who got pregnant to return to school after giving birth,” a researcher, Dr Joyce Mbepera, notes.
The report quoted some of its respondents saying: “This guideline has been introduced more as an announcement and lacks accompanying legislation.”
In the absence of a specific policy mandating their return, the readmission of teen mothers to school often depends on the discretion of parents and school heads, it says.
This was verified in the report by one of the district education officers (DEOs), who commented that:
“There is no law that obligates the girl to return to school after giving birth.
This lack of legal enforcement empowers lower-level officials to struggle in implementing the guidelines successfully.
It can be seen as coaxing the girl to return, and if she chooses not to, there are no legal consequences.”
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa recently announced that the government was drafting new laws and regulations to ensure that the re-entry of pregnant students is not left to individual discretion.
“This issue will not be a matter of personal discretion; it will be a matter of legal requirements and regulations,” Mr Majaliwa assured during a parliamentary session in May 2024.
The current situation in Tanzania underscores a critical need for not only clear legislation but also a shift in societal attitudes.
The government’s commitment to addressing these issues through legal reforms is a positive step, but effective implementation will require concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including educators, parents, and community leaders.
