Adolescent mothers’ second chance education: A systematic review of school re-entry and continuation policies in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

School re-entry and continuation policies are widely promoted in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a means of safeguarding adolescent mothers’ educational participation, yet their practical effects remain inconsistently documented. With this systematic review we synthesised evidence on national policy and programme responses governing re-entry and continuation for adolescent mothers in SSA, drawing on academic and grey literature published between 2000 and March 2022. Following multi-database searching and screening, 63 sources were included and analysed thematically, guided by African feminism, agency theory, and the positive youth development framework. Across contexts, policy commitments commonly articulate educational rights but fall short at the level of operationalisation: guidance on implementation is often vague, resourcing limited, and accountability mechanisms weak. The evidence shows that re-entry decisions and persistence in school are shaped by intersecting constraints: stigma and moral surveillance, gendered expectations of motherhood, inflexible schooling arrangements, inadequate childcare, and household poverty, alongside uneven school-level interpretation of policy. However, promising practice is visible in alternative and second chance initiatives that combine flexible learning pathways with psychosocial support and childcare or caregiving accommodations, enabling re-engagement and completion where mainstream systems remain exclusionary. Overall, the review indicates that policy expansion has outpaced implementation capacity and social norm change. Advancing adolescent mothers’ educational inclusion requires gender-responsive implementation strategies that translate policy into enforceable procedures, strengthen school and community support structures, and institutionalise cross-sector collaboration to address childcare, stigma, and economic barriers.