Comprehensive Sexuality Education Provision in Schools

1. Comprehensive Sexuality Education Provision in Schools Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education 17 September 2019

2. PURPOSE To present to the Portfolio Committee on the provision of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools through the curriculum and co-curriculum programmes 2

3. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • BACKGROUND • KEY ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOUNG PEOPLE • EVIDENCE FOR COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION (CSE) • POLICY FRAMEWORK • SECTOR RESPONSE • WHY USE THE INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL GUIDANCE ON SEXUALITY EDUCATION (ITGSE) • CSE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH THE CURRICULUM • CSE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH COCURRICULA PROGRAMMES • CONCERNS AND MISCONCEPTIONS OF CSE IN SOUTH AFRICA • RECOMMENDATION 3

4. BACKGROUND • South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic in the world with approximately 7.9 million people living with HIV. • The majority of HIV infected adults are women (55-60%) • An estimated 1300 new infections per week among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in 2017 • More than a third of girls and boys (35.4%) experience sexual violence before the age of 17 • New infections have increased by 11% among males of the same age group. 4

5. BACKGROUND cont. • The number of adolescent girls who had sexual relationships with older sexual partners continue to increase. • HIV prevention knowledge has declined amongst learners. • Lower sexual debut and increasing risky sexual behaviour amongst adolescents • Early sexual debut leads to mental health issues such as depression, vulnerability to violence and poor educational outcomes 5

6. BACKGROUND cont. • Teen births have declined consistently since the 1980s. Significant decrease in young teens (under17), most births to older teens (17-19) • But remains unacceptably high: • 10-14yrs 2 716 • 15-19 113 700 • Total: 117 010 (April 2017-March 2018) • Only one third of girls stay in school during their pregnancy and return following childbirth (GHS focus on Schooling, 2015). This creates poverty traps for families. 6

7. Why CSE in schools? • Great need for age appropriate child abuse prevention education that builds resilience, confidence and assertion • Apartheid patterns of family disruption and parental (male) absence • Cultural barriers and conservative attitudes which prevents open conversations about sex and sexuality 7

8. KEY ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOUNG PEOPLE* Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Access to contraceptives Unsafe abortions Puberty Violence, including gender-based violence Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity HIV and AIDS Pregnancy *UNESCO International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education 8

9. RELEVANT POLICY FRAMEWORK 7

10. INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL GUIDANCE ON SEXUALITY EDUCATION (ITGSE) • The UNESCO International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE) collates evidence on major health and social issues facing young people, including on sexual reproductive health and rights • ITGSE recommends essential topics and learning objectives that should be covered in CSE curricula for learners. • Outlines the characteristics of effective approaches for planning, delivering and monitoring CSE. • The Guidance is voluntary and non-mandatory, and recognizes the diversity of national contexts in which sexuality education takes place. 10

11. INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL GUIDANCE ON SEXUALITY EDUCATION (ITGSE) • CSE is scientifically accurate. • Incremental. • Age and developmentally appropriate. • Based on a human rights approach. • Based on gender equality. • Culturally relevant and context appropriate. • Supports life skills needed to support healthy and safe choices. • It goes beyond education about reproduction, risks and disease. • CSE provides information on all approaches for the prevention of unintended pregnancy, STIs and HIV. • Schools are central in the provision of CSE. 11

12. 2016 EVIDENCE REVIEW • Bases its conclusions on evidence from systematic reviews of studies aimed at improving SRH of young people aged 10-24. • Includes a total of 22 relevant systematic reviews globally. • More than 70 relevant RCTs. • A significant amount of non-trial information from 65 publications and online resources • Includes a wide geographical range of recent, published studies with more than half of the 70 RCTs included in the review from low and middle income countries • Extends the reach of the original guidance to included out of school interventions 12

13. 2016 EVIDENCE The 2016 review of ITGSE found that the evidence base for CSE had expanded since 2008. This rigorous scientific review found: • CSE does not sexualisechildren; • Sexuality education does not increase sexual activity, sexual risk-taking behaviour or STI/HIV infection rates (Fonner et.al, 2014; Shepherd et.al, 2010). On the contrary, CSE delays sexual debut and promotes safe sexual behavior; • Increases knowledge of different aspects of sexuality and the risks of early and unintended pregnancy, HIV and other STIs; • Decreases the number of sexual partners; • Reduces sexual risk taking; • Increases use of condoms and other forms of contraception. 13

14. EFFECTIVE CSE PROGRAMMES • Encompass multiple settings including schools, the community, health services, faith based organisations and households/families • Abstinence-only programmes are not effective in delaying sexual initiation, reducing frequency of sex, or reducing number of sexual partners (Kirby 2007, Underhill et.al 2007, UNESCO, 2009, Fonner et.al 2014). • Gender-focused programmes are substantially more effective than ‘gender-blind’ programmes in achieving health outcomes, reducing unintended pregnancy or STIs (Haberland and Rogow 2015). • Multi-component programmes which link CSE with youth friendly services are much more effective • Programmes with implementation fidelity i.e. implemented as intended 14

15. CSE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH CURRICULUM • Comprehensive Sexuality Education has been part of the Life Orientation Curriculum since 2000. • There is no new CSE content that has been added to the curriculum • Implementation fidelity has however necessitated the following: • A review of the LO curriculum; • An evaluation of the LTSM available for LO and CSE; • A review of teacher training for LO and CSE; and • A review of curriculum delivery modalities. • The above reviews led to the development of scripted lesson plans, the development of state owned LO textbooks, an online teacher training course, the development of the “Teaching for All” initial education teaching programme and considerations of strengthened CPTD courses. 15

16. CSE SCRIPTED LESSON PLANS (SLPs) 12 Aligned with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS); Age-specific and developmentally appropriate; Contextualised; Provide pedagogical guidance to teachers.

17. CSE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH CURRICULUM Below are the LO CAPS topics in the Intermediate Phase 17

18. INTERMEDIATE PHASE TOPICS IN THE SLPs Focus is on staying safe Grade 5 Grade 4 Grade 6 18

19. CSE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH CO-CURRICULUM • Since 2013the DBE has been implementing CSE through several co-curricular programmes. These include: • Keeping Girls in Schools; • Breaking the Silence; • Determined, Resilient, Empowered, Aids-Free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) • She Conquers; and • ESA Commitment • AGYW exposed to these CSE programmes, adopted health seeking behavioursuch as contraception and condom use, and increased HIV testing. 19

20. Sexual behaviour by SBCC exposure level, South Africa, 2017

21. COMMON CONCERNS ABOUT CSE 21

22. COMMON CONCERNS ABOUT CSE 22

23. CONCERNS AND MISCONCEPTION OF CSE IN SA 23

24. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Portfolio Committee notes and discusses the provision of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in schools through curriculum and co-curriculum programmes. 25

25. THANK YOU