PROMOTING CONTINUED EDUCATION FOR TEENAGE PREGNANT GIRLS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN GWAGWALADA AREA COUNCIL, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

Abstract

This study investigates strategies to support the continued education of teenage pregnant girls in senior secondary schools in Gwagwalada Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Employing a descriptive research design, the study examined a population of 4,827 SS2 students from nine public secondary schools in the area. A purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 280 SS2 students from five schools. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire and analyzed with mean scores, while Chi-square tests were applied to examine hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The results revealed that peer pressure significantly impacted on the continued education of pregnant teenagers, and inadequate sex education negatively affected their educational persistence. Based on the findings, the study recommends that schools should collaborate with parents to implement comprehensive sex education, foster open communication with parents and guardians, establish peer support groups, and the government should integrate sex education into the secondary school curriculum and provide counseling personnel and essential educational resources to improve its effectiveness.