The economic and social progress that has resulted from the independence processes of African countries has generated rapid population growth. Such a demographic surge poses a real challenge for governments in terms of social policy, infrastructure and services, with school enrolment, support for teachers and social care for the growing numbers of pupils among the most pressing priorities. In the early years of independence, boarding schools - schools built in a hurry - made it easier for village and rural children to attend school. These boarding schools were then transformed into classrooms or offices, after which the management of the intake of pupils from the interior regions became a real logistical problem. The result has been a high level of social promiscuity against a backdrop of resourcefulness in the towns where the lycées and collèges are located, leading, among other problems, to an upsurge in pregnancies in schools. This phenomenon, fuelled by the influence of social media as well as films and soap operas, has become so widespread that it is shattering existing social and family structures. article describes the social challenges that need to be addressed in order to resolve this general phenomenon, which is becoming a worldwide trend.