Description:
The study on the right to education for expelled pregnant schoolgirls in Tanzania has been carried out in order to assess the challenges the pregnant schoolgirls face and to determine possibilities for re-entry after giving birth. The research has been guided by four hypotheses with the assumption that the international and regional legal instruments recognize the right to education to pregnant schoolgirls, the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania recognizes the right to education to every child, that denying pregnant schoolgirls’ re-entry to school after giving birth infringes the right to equal access to education and that the infringement of the right to education by denying pregnant school girls’ re-entry to school after delivery has great harm.
The study, thus, aimed at analyzing the legal framework in Tanzania in protecting the right to education for pregnant schoolgirls. This has been done by analyzing the implementation of international law to domestic laws on the right to education by determining how the re-entry of pregnant schoolgirls can be addressed so that to provide equal right of access to education.
The researcher has found that despite of the fact that the international and regional legal instruments provide for opportunity for girls who become pregnant before completing their education to continue who with their education, the rights to education to female are much infringed than male due to the belief that the presence of such girls is a threat to the maintenance of order on school grounds and will lead to social chaos. In order to ensure the right to education for pregnant schoolgirls, the researcher recommends for the government’s involvement in protecting pregnant schoolgirls, providing education on awareness about right to education and to acquisition of justice, introducing measures that can eradicate poverty and providing school friendly environments.