The Silent Cry: Girls’ Access to Education. The Barriers. The Solutions.

Growing up in a suburban community for most of my academic career, I received some exposure to the growing barriers to accessing education for girls in my community. Often times naïve to the difference amongst race and socioeconomic statuses; success was defiantly measured at greater cost for those of the African American community and lower socioeconomic status. Now working within an urban community with pregnant and parenting teens; I can speak first hand to the conflicts with access to education.

Access to education, particularly for girls is associated with great barriers with very little solutions. Culturally and socially girls are viewed as the lesser equal sex who’s’ voice should be limited. A majority of girls in urban school districts face many barriers that hold them back from succeeding. A number of influences and hardships plaque their community enabling their ability to gain the same access to education which their white female counterparts are privileged to. Such hardship and influences include; low socioeconomic backgrounds, lack of parental support and/or single parent household, discrimination, teen pregnancy and an overwhelming increase in the high school dropout rates. As it relates to pregnant and parenting teens specifically; access to education comes with a bigger price tag as a young mom combats criticism, finding balance, lack of support, single parenthood and prioritizing parental responsibilities and academic success. Too often education becomes secondary. Pregnant and parenting teens face many barriers to enrolling, attending and succeeding in school due to lack of access to childcare, transportation, healthcare services and other critical services. Ensuring the success of pregnant and parenting students is crucial, not only for them but for the success of their child who would be more likely to drop out as well if their parent has done so.
In my opinion, the greatest challenge which the parenting and pregnant teen community faces with access to education is gaining necessary support, mentorship and the lack of continuous wrap-around services ensuring the success of the teen mom and her child.

Finding a solution for the barriers to education, will require local and state entities making it priority and providing more access within the schools for (1).parenting and life skills courses, (2).individual case management to ensure that all pregnant and parenting students receive a pregnancy counselor/coach throughout her academic career and (3).academic support as it relates to make-up assignment due to missed work from doctor’s appointment and maternity leave. Lastly putting in place pregnancy prevention education will also assist with eliminating barriers.
At-large the body of work as a nonprofit organization consists on eliminating such barriers through community linkage, resources and referrals to primary healthcare, family planning and mental health, support and wrap-around services, addressing the various areas of need and disparity.

Despite their high level of motivation and resiliency, barriers to education for pregnant and parenting teens persist and overcoming such barriers requires a level of responsibility on their part to access community linkage, identifying resources and available support.