Teachers' Attitudes Toward The Inclusion Of Pregnant Girls In The Congolese School System

Inclusive education remains a persistent challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, where adolescent pregnancy is one of the primary causes of girls' school exclusion. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite a ministerial circular prohibiting such exclusion, pregnant teenagers continue to face stigma, abandonment, and social marginalization within educational settings. This study aims to analyze the psychosocial and institutional determinants shaping teachers', school principals', and pedagogical advisors' attitudes toward the inclusion and academic success of pregnant students. A quantitative survey was conducted with 93 participants (72 men and 21 women) across three provinces-Haut-Katanga, Lualaba, and Kinshasa. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed through a General Linear Model (GLM) in SPSS. Results indicate that institutional support for the ministerial circular is the most influential predictor, significantly impacting both acceptance of inclusion and perceptions of pregnant girls' potential for academic success. Gender and professional experience also emerge as significant factors, with an important interaction effect between the two, suggesting that male teachers with longer careers tend to show more favorable attitudes when institutional backing is strong. Conversely, age and educational level were not found to exert significant influence. Overall, these findings emphasize the crucial role of policy legitimization and institutional engagement in shaping inclusive attitudes. They also underline the necessity of gender-sensitive training and differentiated professional development programs to ensure effective, equitable, and sustainable inclusion of pregnant girls in Congolese schools.