Abstract
In response to the high prevalence of teenage pregnancy and risky sexual behaviour of young people, the Department of Basic Education introduced comprehensive sexuality education within the Life Orientation curriculum using scripted lesson plans included in the CAPS document. The lesson plans include topics about sexual behaviour and health, decision-making, STIs and HIV/AIDS. It aims to equip learners with all the necessary tools they need to foster positive attitudes towards sexuality and make better decisions about their sexual lifestyles. However, the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education school programmes is not without its challenges. Studies have found that one of the main challenges to the successful implementation of comprehensive sexuality education is the training and preparation of teachers to teach sexuality education.
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Life Orientation teachers teaching comprehensive sexuality education in high schools around Mthatha, Eastern Cape. Through purposive and snowball non-probability sampling methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 Life Orientation teachers in Mthatha. Due to the regulations of Covid-19, data was collected through digital methods such as Zoom and WhatsApp. The data was analysed thematically.
The findings of the study were: (1) Life Orientation teachers have different qualifications that do not necessarily prepare them to teach comprehensive sexuality education, (2) teachers are influenced by their personal beliefs and values that sometimes clash with their professional values and (3) the overall implementation of sexuality education is due to the lack of adequate training of teachers and how comprehensive sexuality education is perceived by Life Orientation teachers, parents and the community.
In conclusion, teachers, learners and parents play a crucial role in ensuring that the goals of comprehensive sexuality education are met. Therefore, it is imperative that curriculum advisors should take into account the values of all the stakeholders for comprehensive sexuality education implementation to be effective. Teachers, learners and parents come from culturally and religiously diverse belief systems that should be acknowledged in the teaching strategies.