Unwed Adolescent Mothers’ Education, Preparedness for Independent Living, and Policy Needs

Abstract

This article examines unwed adolescent mothers’ academic participation, preparedness for independent living, and economic participation and identifies their policy needs. For this, I used data on a total of 252 unwed adolescent mothers aged 15 to 24. Unwed adolescent mothers continuing their studies accounted for about one-fourth of the survey subjects. The majority of those teenagers were attending school or preparing for a general educational development exam. Most of the subjects reported difficulties in continuing their education due to their childrearing responsibilities, but they also thought that in order for them to become self-reliant, they needed to attain educational levels higher than their current educational level. Most of the subjects cited their childcare responsibilities as the main reason why they could not participate in economic activities or vocational training. Although they thought that education was important for self-reliance and desired a job where they could work while raising children, the reality was that their financial difficulties kept them from continuing their education or participating in vocational training. In order for unwed adolescent mothers to continue their education, not only education support but also other types of support should be provided in a comprehensive manner, including support in childcare and financial assistance, so that they can juggle their roles as students and mothers.