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Abstract:
In Australia, as in many parts of the world, Indigenous teenage girls are more likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to fall pregnant as teenagers. Teenage parenthood can trigger a life-long cycle of disadvantage, starting with disengagement from school. These outcomes are often intergenerational. Teenage pregnancy can also be viewed as a turning point for young women and an opportunity to funnel greater investment into girls to change the typical outcomes. The Girl Academy School is a unique solution. Unlike other schools, it takes a holistic approach, providing girls with an opportunity to re-engage by living on campus with their child/children, learn how to parent as primary caregivers for their children in a supportive and nurturing environment, learn to live independently (e.g. learning nutrition and self-care), develop work skills through hands-on experience and vocational training, and support each other on their parenting journeys. Holistic, intensive solutions like this are necessary to gain traction and break the cycle of disadvantage.
