Comprehensive and compulsory sexual education in South African schools was a necessity given the crisis the country – and youth in particular – faced with high rates of HIV, TB, adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence.
“Several gaps have been identified in the current curriculum in sexual education. It lacks depth, is too conservative, has teacher bias and is given inadequate curriculum coverage,” according to Suren Govender, the chief director for curriculum implementation for the Department of Basic Education (DBE).
Govender was speaking at the 8th South African Aids Conference at the Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on Tuesday. He formed part of the DBE panel presenting the basic education department’s new national policy on HIV, STIs and TB for 2017 in which sexual education has been made compulsory.
The multi-sectoral policy also had a strong focus on teacher health and education and would ensure educators were exposed to innovative methodologies to teaching sexual education.
“The best place to instill lifestyle change in behaviours is at schools. Education empowers the youth to take control of their lives,” he said. Sexuality education via the school curriculum was thus a key lever to effect change.
He said that despite the public outcry from some sectors about compulsory sexual education, the core messages to be taught included that the safest choice was to have no sex at all.
Other messages were that everyone had the right to say no in any sexual situation and that if learners were ready to have sex, they should always ensure they were safe by getting tested regularly for HIV and other STIs.
Learners would also be taught that both men and women were responsible for preventing pregnancy, HIV and other STIs.
Dr Faith Khumalo, the department’s chief director for care and support in schools, told the packed auditorium that a revised policy was needed to widen the scope of application to learners, education, support staff and officials.
The new policy was a combination of prevention strategies that brought social, behavioural and structural approaches together as core elements, she said.
Khumalo said that this was the first time that tuberculosis had been included as a priority. At an international level, this was the first education policy that provided comprehensive response to both HIV and TB, she said.
“The department approaches HIV as a core management function now rather than only a health concern using a public health approach for prevention, treatment, care and support,” she said.
Principles underlying creation of the policy included access to education, information and counselling, treatment, care and support.
Equity and protection from stigma and discrimination, fair labour practice and gender sensitivity and responsiveness were also considered, she said.
South Africa accounts for 17% of global HIV infections and is home to the largest ART programme in the world. New HIV infections are highest in the 15 to 24 year old age group, with girls and young women being particularly affected.
Children represent 16% of all new TB cases in the country, and 25% of children with TB are HIV positive.
– African News Agency (ANA)
