The impact of teenage pregnancy on academic achievements among high school students: a comparative analysis of support programmes’ effectiveness in Bohlabela District, Mpumalanga

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy remains a persistent public health, gender-equity and education challenge in South Africa, with consequences for schooling continuity, academic achievement and long-term socioeconomic opportunity. This dissertation examined how teenage pregnancy influences academic achievement among high school learners in Bohlabela District, Mpumalanga, and comparatively analysed the perceived effectiveness of school- and community-linked support programmes across two selected secondary schools. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm, Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and a gender-sensitive intersectional lens, the study employed a qualitative comparative case study design. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with educators (n = 6) and pregnant/parenting learners (n = 19), supplemented by an educator discussion transcript, and analysed thematically with attention to school-level and participant-group comparisons. Findings show that teenage pregnancy and early parenting affected academic achievement through absenteeism linked to clinic visits and childcare, reduced study time, fatigue, difficulty completing assessments, psychosocial distress, stigma, partner and family instability, and inconsistent re-entry support. Although national policy frameworks support learner retention and return, participants described uneven implementation, weak referral systems and limited structured psychosocial or academic catch-up support. The study recommends institutionalised, multi-component support that combines confidential counselling, flexible academic accommodations, structured catch-up plans, clear re-entry procedures, educator training, non-judgemental school-clinic referral pathways and family/community engagement to protect attendance, progression and performance among pregnant and parenting learners.