The role of School Administrators and challenges faced in the implementation of the re-entry policy: A case of Central Province
This study sought to find out what role school administrators played and what challenges they faced in the implementation of the re-entry policy in three schools in the Central Province of Zambia. In order to achieve the above aim and objectives, two hundred (200) respondents composed of three (3) head teachers, three (3) deputy head teachers, five (5) matrons, three (3) guidance and counseling teachers, eight-six (86) ordinary teachers, fifty (50) grade teachers and fifty (50) teachers in charge of clubs were selected by random sampling using the pick-a-lot random sampling method. Respondents composed of head teachers, deputy head teachers, matrons, guidance and counseling teachers were interviewed using an interview guide. Further, questionnaires were used to get information from all the respondents including head teachers, deputy head teachers, matrons, guidance and counseling teachers. Documentation analysis was also conducted to get information that was in form of records and minutes of meetings paying particular attention to resolutions on pregnancy cases.Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to analyze data using percentages tables, codes and themes. This study revealed that school administrators had a number of roles they played in the implementation of the re-entry policy. These roles include the provision of information about the existence of the re-entry policy to the general public and other stakeholders. They also informed stakeholders on how the re-entry policy could be utilized by victims of pregnancy, liaised with other stakeholders in the implementation of the re-entry policy, provided support systems for girls returning to school after cessation of pregnancy to enable them get back into school life again, devised mechanisms for following up on girls that had left school due to pregnancy and helped create conducive environments for returning girls in schools. In the area of support systems in schools, this study found that school administrators had set up departments, namely guidance and counseling and gender department to help pregnancy victims in schools. However, it was also found that the two departments were not tailored to support the re-entry policy as they had not been adjusted to specifically support re-entering girls but to provide career guidance to all pupils. With regard to the views of school administrators towards girls that had returned to school after giving birth, this study found that school administrators’ views were negative. The study also found that the negative attitude of school administrators towards retuning school girls could be attributed to the fact that school administrator lacked training in handling pregnancy victims.
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