“Once they fall pregnant, they don't come back”: Teacher perspectives on Zambia's school re-entry policy for adolescent mothers

Abstract This mixed-methods study investigates teacher understandings of Zambia's school re-entry policy for adolescent mothers. Nearly one in three Zambian girls has been pregnant by 19 (Population Council, UNFPA, & Republic of Zambia, 2017). Despite having the legal right to attend school, few young mothers complete their schooling. As the ground-level implementers of the policy, teachers are the interface between the Ministry of Education and the students who could benefit. To examine this issue, we interviewed teachers from four Lusaka province schools to explore their implementation of the policy and teacher beliefs regarding the re-enrollment of adolescent mothers.