Community Development and Continuation in School after an Adolescent Birth: A South African Analysis

Heather J. Branton, University of Michigan

This paper examines the effects of basic community development on subsequent return to school after an adolescent birth in African communities in South Africa. Often attention to teen childbearing focuses primarily on the individual or family circumstances. However, basic development factors such as access to running water, sanitation, and type of fuel can have substantial impact on girls' daily activities and educational opportunities. Having a child can increase the workload substantially, thereby reducing educational opportunities. We use data from the 1996 South African Census (n=279,796) to examine the effect of development characteristics on whether girls who had a birth were currently in school at the time of the census. Using logistic regression models, I compare results of girls with and without births. The results have substantial implications for improvements in educational opportunities for Black South African girls.