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Teen Mothers - Accept 'em in schools or not?
Published:
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sarah-Lee Manmohan
Press Pass Correspondent
Press Pass Correspondent
As the ‘ole’ people used to say, “There is a time and place for everything...” The underlying message that is wrapped and decorated within this quote gives the basis on which the issue of teenage pregnancy should be addressed. Even though our dynamic society nowadays has moved away from traditional ideologies, it is still critical to preserve some of the lessons behind the ole time sayings. The term ‘teen mother’ is quite an ironic one if we were to really sit and think about it. Here, a teen describes an individual who is at a transitional stage of development, caught somewhere between childhood and adulthood, where they are categorised as biologically but not emotionally and psychologically mature. On the other side of the coin, there is a mother defined as an individual who has given birth to a child and is expected to nurture, love, protect and care for a new life. So, what happens when we put the two together?
Babies having babies is the product that glares right back at us. Teenaged mothers’ needs are undoubtedly a far cry from a regular teenaged girl’s needs. Hence, it is my view that they should not be allowed back into the secondary school system after giving birth. Since everything has its time to happen, a school girl being impregnated is not only unacceptable and highly inconvenient, but also life-changing. For starters, we shall deal with the aesthetics of the situation before getting into the heavy discussion. The most crucial mistake made was the first step taken down this path when a young girl decides to become sexually active. She is at a time in her life when she is unfit to be a mother and unable to provide for herself, much more for another life. Once the teenager is allowed to continue her schooling at the same institution, what message does it relay to her peers? Does this mean that having a baby is an issue which is treated casually and after the pregnancy has run its course, it’s business as usual? Is it worth the risk of contaminating the psyche of her peers? What if the teen mother decides to wed, would wives be going to school with teenage daughters?
Allowing the student to continue her education at her original school is one way of saying her choice is accepted and that she can still be a ‘normal’ teenager after becoming a mother. No! No! No! By making an adult choice at a not so adult age, she signed over all rights to being ‘normal’ and achieving what she was meant to achieve at that age. It is debatable that a teen mother no longer has a right to an education but a responsibility to her newborn baby and to society. Already being part of a vulnerable group in society, she must gain employment if welfare is not provided and reduce her country’s dependency ratio. If not, both the mother and baby risk falling into the vicious cycle of poverty, especially when she is shunned by her relatives or is of low socio-economic status. A teen mother is faced with a harsh reality that a regular teen will never dream of experiencing.
Teen mothers are forced to provide for their infant, financially, emotionally and physically, as well as devote sufficient time and effort towards schooling, plus deal with the social pressures associated with the stigma of teen pregnancy. Normal teenagers will not begin to understand what if feels like to wake throughout many nights comforting a screaming infant in pain because of gripe, or to have a cranky baby cling to your bosom 24/7 when there is homework to be done, and exams to study for. Who bears the responsibility of the child during school hours? At times mothers are unable to attend school regularly as the baby is ill, lacks a caretaker or needs to visit the doctor for check-ups and immunization. How do they keep up with the pace at school and catch up on classes missed? Previous research has indicated that pregnancy during adolescence negatively impacts on the mother’s education. Sad to say, dropping out of high school and committing suicide are also avenues of coping that some girls have sought in past cases.
Clearly, some sort of compromise is needed to bridge the gap between an individual’s adolescent and motherhood needs. So, a second chance at stabilising a teen mother’s future can be granted through the development of a highly sensitive curriculum to be offered in a separate institution. After all, would a deaf man attend the same school as a man who has hearing? Both the government and private organisations should closely collaborate to devise a holistic programme that caters specifically for the needs of a teenage mother. Perhaps the curriculum may be of a lesser intensity than usual schooling and incorporate courses which educate the teen about parenting, time management, nutrition and budgeting, thus, allowing them to make the transition to motherhood. Not only will these special schools address the educational needs of the teenager, but also their emotional needs. By attending the tailored institution, teen mothers are removed from most of the ridicule and prejudice of others, at least inside the classroom. A socially welcoming environment will be created through counselling, support groups and other teen moms who have shared in similar experiences.
These can provide the tools for success such as comfort, guidance and strength that the young mother may need to persevere. The advantages to separating the students are numerous. First of all, parents of schoolmates may gain peace of mind, removing any spell of worry, fear or paranoia of their own children are being exposed to and influenced by the actions of the new mothers. The social norms of our educational institutions will still remain intact. The ‘teen mom’ school may also offer day-care facilities while the teenager is attending her classes during the day. These institutions can teach our young mothers to be responsible. Their main goal should be to equip teenage mothers with survival tools, helping them to help themselves and to make the best of their situation, instead of depending on a partner or relative. This alternative offers opportunities for the teen mother while adjacently utilising government funds sustainably, instead of just providing welfare.
By only providing welfare, adversities may arise. If governments financially support the teen mothers, they may actually encourage them to have more children, rather than to take care of the ones they already have, making the problem bigger than it is already. Being a teenage mother is no walk in the park as one would imagine. The disease of teenage pregnancy which is infecting our young people should remain taboo. Should our views as a society change because ‘everyone’s doing it’? Just because something is popular, does it make it right? Therefore, it is a reality that societies must deal with in the best possible way. It must be maintained throughout that it is not okay to contract this so-called disease in order to protect our young people from themselves. To err is human and even though one should not be punished for their mistakes, responsibility for their actions is vital for the well-being of the parent, child and society. Hence, the issue of teen pregnancy, it is not so much a matter of judgment and prejudice, but more so a matter of realism and practicality.
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