Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Education forms the basis upon which economic, social and political development of any nation is founded and investing in education can help foster economic growth, enhance productivity, contribute to national and social development and thereby reducing inequality. In the whole world girls represent the majority of children out of school and facing challenges in getting education especially those that get pregnant at an early age. This phenomenon affects equitable human capital formation. Specific to the underage girl child, is the menace of effects of early pregnancy on academic performance of underage girls that this study sought to address. The study was guided by social learning theory and human capital theory. The specific objectives were: to determine the effects of early pregnancy on academic performance of underage girls in Wangiya village, to find out the various factors that contributes to high rate of early pregnancy among underage girls in Wangiya village, to establish the economic status of families with underage girls at Wangiya village and to find out the lifestyle of underage girls at Wangiya village in Migori County. The study deployed descriptive survey during the research study. The accessible population was 40 underage girls. The study used questionnaires for underage pregnant girls and mothers. Validity of the instrument was determined by the researcher who formulated items according to the research objectives. Data collected was analyzed using measures of central tendency. The results were then presented using tables. The study found out that poor parental supervision, poverty, lack of experience, remaining longer in school and excess exposure to social media and pornographic models exposed underage girls to early pregnancy which leads to immediate drop out of school hence poor academic performance. The study also established that 62% of the underage mothers in Wangiya village were given another chance to continue with education. The study recommended the need for underage girls to be taught about contraceptives at an early age to avoid underage pregnancies, the need for measures to be put in place to avoid the expulsion of pregnant underage girls from school, pregnant and underage mothers be given a chance to continue with education and men taking advantage of poor underage girls to be punished severely.
