Working to Advance
Health Equity in Africa

Sexuality education in South African schools

Overview

HEARD together with EDC, SFH and Mott MacDonald are implementing the School-Based Sexuality and HIV Prevention Education Activity, a 5-year contract. The activity will support the South African Government to reduce HIV infections in learners and teachers by assisting the Department of Basic Education to implement high quality, evidence-informed sexuality and HIV prevention education programs.

Objectives

The five main objectives of the activity include the following:

1. Increase number of teachers qualified to teach sexuality education
2. Strengthen DBE’s capacity to provide education and training for teachers to teach sexuality and HIV education lessons in the classroom and improve life skills program
3. Improve quality of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs – evidence informed and effective to reduce risky behaviours amongst school-going youth; improve learner knowledge and achievement in targeted areas of the life skills program
4. Increase DBE capacity to work in partnership with the Department of Health to implement the Integrated School Health Program (ISHP); Reduce teenage pregnancy levels and retention of girls in school and increase potential to complete high school
5. Improve systems to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the sexuality and HIV education program.

Methodological approach:

Various