A new report by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) reveals a significant gap between policy and practice when it comes to access to education for pregnant girls and adolescent mothers.
While Zimbabwe amended its Education Act in 2020 to prohibit schools from excluding pregnant students, the ARTUZ report, titled “ZIMPULSE ON UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION,” found that 73% of schools sampled are still failing to implement the policy effectively.
“Despite the provisions of the law locally and internationally on pregnant learners Zimbabwe has been observed to be lagging behind, 73% of the schools sampled have been found to be in the red zone which indicates that the barrier remains,” states the report.
The report highlights the positive aspects of the amendment, noting that it removes a major barrier to girls’ education and aligns with the country’s constitution which guarantees equal educational opportunities.
Statistics from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (2019) show that pregnancy was responsible for nearly 15% of school dropouts, according to the report.
“According to statistics released by the Ministry of Primary and secondary education (MOPSE, 2019) pregnancy accounted for the 14.93% of dropouts during the review period. This is a significant percentage and the need for a policy to include pregnant learners is justified.
“The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the prevalence of teenage pregnancies because the children remained idle after schools dosed and therefore girls became more vulnerable. (UNICEF, 2023). The amendment makes it possible for all children to return to school now that everything has normalized,” reads the report.
However, the report paints a concerning picture of implementation. Key findings include, high levels of stigma, lack of support systems, and limited access to education.
Despite the aforementioned challenges, a glimmer of hope emerges. The report identifies 18% of schools in a “green zone” where pregnant students are welcomed back into the mainstream learning system.
The report states: “From the sampled schools 18% are in green zone, interviews reviewed that the pregnant learners are not given complete access to the school but are admitted to public exams in the case that the learner is registered with ZIMSEC to sit for exams.
“It was also noted that some teachers who will have done some personal development programs aligned to counselling or health education and promotion play a pivotal role in the acceptance of the pregnant learners back into the main stream learning system.9% of the sampled schools are working towards the improvement setting up facilities in form of rehabilitation programs for the pregnant learners.”
Additionally, 9% of schools are taking steps to improve by setting up support programs, although teacher development remains a hurdle due to funding constraints.
“The major challenge observed is that of teacher development because of the lack of financial resources to fund the process,” reads the report.
The ARTUZ report underscores the need for a multi-pronged approach to bridge the gap between policy and reality.
