In our society today there are countless issues which can no longer be seen as black and white. The way the older generation dealt with these issues and the way we should deal with them nowadays ought to represent the fact that not all circumstances are the same, so there should seldom be hard and fast rules governing these situations. Teenage pregnancy is just one of these issues which are quite prevalent in society today. In fact, most of us either have friends or know of someone who got pregnant during their teenage years. While the idea of being responsible for another life (while barely being able to take control of your own) is in no way ideal, we have to be realistic. For many different reasons, 'babies having babies' is something that continues to transpire and while we should try to put systems in place to reduce this, we also need to be open minded. We must deal with the aftermath of the situation in the best interest of the new mother and her child. A solid education is almost a guarantee to the achievement of social mobility in our society. Denying a teenage mom her right to education after birth can only do more harm than good. Think about it. Which is better; a teenage girl with a CSEC certificate and a child, or a teenage girl with an unstable part-time job and a dependent child? Surely finishing her education would ensure a better life for the mother and child.
Allowing the mother to finish her education does not mean that the education system endorses teenage pregnancy and it would be nonsensical of her peers to assume so. Rather, allowing her to finish shows that the system understands the importance – more so now that she has another life in her hands of her securing her passes. If she is not allowed to finish her education, she has very few options and can end up becoming dependent on her family or partner - this in turn can result in her having more children or jumping from job to job. With few qualifications and very little experience it would be difficult to secure a stable job to support her family. Additionally, it is incredibly important to remember that not every teenage mother made the conscious decision to have sex. What happens if a teenager is gang raped and becomes pregnant but does not want to have an abortion? Is it fair to deny this young woman her right to education when she was impregnated against her will? Aside from this, many young girls get themselves stuck in situations of which they should not be a part due to poor upbringing or a lack of a male role model in their lives. This can also result in them having unprotected sex which can lead to pregnancy. While these are not excuses, the point is, not all girls make educated decisions about sex and some end up pregnant. Why they got pregnant though, is not the issue here. The fact is, regardless of what we think of it, young school girls get pregnant regularly and the few who decide not to risk their lives by having an illegal abortion have to deal with the pregnancy. What good does it do to prevent these girls from re-entering the education system?
The risk of the teenager who is denied education falling into a cycle of poverty and dependence is so high that this alone should encourage those who can, to allow the mother back into the system. With education, she can achieve social mobility and make a better life for her child. Sure, it is not going to be easy for her because she is going to be stereotyped and judged and despite possibly having her family's support and assistance, she will still have to deal with things that her peers cannot even dream of handling. However, this should not stop the system from giving her the option to pursue her education. The only thing that should possibly stop her from pursuing her education should be her personal decision and situation; not the system. If she believes that she has a strong support system and she can manage the situation along with school work, then she should be given the opportunity to secure her passes. While a teenage mother attending school is in no way an ideal situation, it is not right for her to be denied her right to education because she has a baby. Finally, unless it is a case similar to that of the Immaculate Conception, it takes two humans to make a baby. How on earth could it be fair that a young woman is denied her right to return to her school after carrying a baby for nine months, while the boy who actively participated in the pregnancy process gets off scot free? Sure, his body does not have to undergo the changes that her body does, neither does he have to deliver the baby, but he is equally responsible for the child. If he is not persecuted by the education system for being a teenage father then why should the teenage mother not have the option of returning to school after having her baby? While ideally an institution which can provide a teenage mother with her educational needs and daycare for her child as well as additional training sessions on her new motherhood would be great, no such institution exists and until it does, a young mother should have the option of returning to her old school to finish her education. Whether she wants to deal with the pressure, stigmatisation and stress (which comes along with her returning to school) should be her choice. This should not be pre-determined by an archaic and closed minded system.