Abstract
The child needs to be introduced to all facets of being an adult, whether a woman or a man. For this to be done a planned and organised education should be done. If a child is inadequately educated in this regard life will remain alien and closed, and despite all the opportunities, she or he might never become fully actualised as a man or a woman. Sexuality Education is therefore aimed at helping learners at school to develop a positive view of sexuality, providing them with the necessary information, clarify values and the necessary social skills to make wise and to make wise and informed decisions about all matters relating to their sexuality. Promotion of a healthy personal life-style for learners, they are enabled to be morally independent, accountable, dedicated and responsible adults, all are learnt in Sexuality Education.
Teachers and parents play an important role in guiding the learners towards adulthood, according to the values and norms of the society. Parental involvement in sexuality education is essential, but in the modern context parents are seemingly not able to cope with the responsibility due to a number of social and economic issues. Much of the education is left to the schools and responsibility is placed particularly on Life Orientation teachers to respond to this educational imperative.
In-service teachers receive training in Sexuality Education in the Life Orientation learning area by way of in-service training workshops to support them in this role. It is, however documented that ”although Sexuality Education programmes have been around for many years, most programmes have not been as effective as hoped” (Edwards, 1998). This raises a question as to whether in-service teachers who are trained in a particular Sexuality Education programme in a certain region in Mpumalanga are indeed implementing it as was intended in the training. In order to partly answer this question, this study will therefore focus on secondary school teachers’ experiences of implementing this particular Sexuality Education programme.
Dr. M.P. Van der Merwe