Guaranteeing the rights to education ofpregnant high school students in Japan:
Focusing on initiatives related to teenage mothers inthe U.K.
200251 CHIKA MIZUIDEAbout this thesis
BACKGROUND
There are high school students who loose access to education
because of pregnancy in JapanSUBJECT
Guaranteeing the rights to education of pregnant high school studentsAbout this thesis
PURPOSE
Clarifying the cause of losing access to education because ofpregnancy and maternity among high school students
METHOD
・Comparing policies and laws between Japan and the U.K. about
guaranteeing the rights to education of pregnant high school students・Comparing social attitude in Japan and the U.K. towards the rights toeducation, having children and marriage based on previous works

Thesis Structure
Chapter 1: Current situation of pregnant high school students inJapan and the U.K.
Chapter 2: Initiatives to help pregnant high school students to accessto education in Japan and the U.K.
Chapter 3: The reason why there are not enough initiatives in Japan

Chapter 1:
Current situation of pregnant high school students

in Japan and the U.K.

Enrollment status of
pregnant students（full-time）

Enrollment status of
pregnant students(part time)

Attendance for all periods except before
and after childbirth
Change of course due to pregnancy

9%

14.1%

31.70%

Leave of absence during pregnancy andchildcare
Transferring to another school

42.0%

Dropout of school "voluntarily" as a resultof recommendation by schools

24.8%

36.90%

32 cases
Dropout of school voluntarily based on
students'(or their guardians') will

15.20%
2.10%

0.90%
4.20%

※number：1,006

1.0%
2.3%

Change of course, leave of absence,transfer and dropout of school for reason
other than pregnancy or childbirth

13.4%
2.40%

※number：1,092

The reasons why schools recommended pregnant students
drop out of school;

1. Schools believed it was difficult for pregnant students to study at
school and raise children at the same time (18/32cases)
2. Schools believed pregnant students affected other students(5/32cases)
3. Schools were not able to ensure safety of pregnant students(8/32cases)
Are these rational reasons torecommend
droppingoutofschool
4. Others (1/32cases)
because of pregnancy?

Disciplinary action because of pregnancy
Out-of-school suspension,in-school suspension,
supervised in a separate room etc.
admonition

94 cases / 2,098
Some schools believe getting pregnant athigh school age is punishment worthyChapter 1: Current situation of pregnant high school students
in Japan and the U.K.
Some schools make pregnant students leave school
due to unfair reasonsHigh school students lose access to education
because of pregnancy
It is illegal to treat students unfairly because ofpregnancy and maternity by the Equality Act 2010

Chapter 2:
Initiatives to help pregnant high school students to accessto education in Japan and the U.K.

Chapter2: Initiatives to help pregnant high school students to accessto education in Japan and the U.K.
・There is no legal framework to protect pregnant students
from discrimination
・ Prime Minister Abe stated “ We do not have the plan toreduce to zero the number of unwanted interruptions toschool study because of teenage pregnancy.” in 2018
・2004~ “Care to Learn” was launched in EnglandAn initiative to pay childcare cost instead ofyoung parents (under 20) and help them toaccess to education

Chapter 3:The reason why there are not enoughinitiatives in Japan

Chapter3: The reason why there are not enough initiatives
in Japan
Research showed there were high school students who
dropped out of school because of pregnancy
Prime Minister stated “ We do not have plan to require
schools not to recommend leaving school because ofpregnancy by a notification from government” in 2018
Japanese government downplays the rights to educationof pregnant high school students

Conclusion
Japanese government downplays the rights to educationof pregnant high school students

There are not enough legal frameworks or initiatives;・to protect pregnant students from discrimination
・to help pregnant student to keep studying
Pregnant high school students lose access to education