Analysing the hegemonic discourses on comprehensive sexuality education in South African schools

Ubisi, Lindokuhle

doi:10.17159/2520-9868/i81a07

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Highincome countries like the UK and US have adopted a more holistic approach, shifting certain centres towards a one-stop model that integrates clinical, social, and educational support [39,98,99]. Meanwhile, initiatives in countries such as Mexico, India, and South Africa have incorporated life skills building, education, vocational training, and livelihood support alongside clinical SRH services [100][101][102]. Such comprehensive models agree with the multifaceted youth needs and preferences, showing promise for improving access and health outcomes.…”

Section: Youth Empowerment Through Targeted Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sexual and Reproductive Health needs and preferences of youths in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-synthesis

Uka,

White,

Smith

2024

Preprint

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The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of youths in sub-Saharan Africa are not being fully met, as evidenced by high rates of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections in this population. Understanding service needs and preferences of sub-Saharan African youths aged 10-24 years is critical for improving access and SRH outcomes and the focus of this systematic review of qualitative research. Four databases were searched with key words to identify relevant studies, supplemented by citation search, with an update in June 2023. The eligibility criteria were clear and developed a priori. Twenty included studies from seven countries underwent quality appraisal using CASP. A meta-ethnographic approach was used to synthesise concepts across studies by the researchers. Four key themes were generated:information needs; service needs; social needs; and delivery preferences. Information needs encompassed desires for age-appropriate education on contraception, safer sex, bodily changes, and healthy relationships to fill knowledge gaps. Social needs consisted of life skills training, vocational development, substance use rehabilitation, and support systems to foster healthy behaviours. Service needs included accessible youth-friendly sexual health services, preventative care, sexually transmitted Infections (STI) management, and contraception; and delivery preferences including competent providers who maintain privacy and confidentiality, convenient youth-oriented settings, free or low-cost provisions, and youth involvement in service design. In conclusion, the identified themes emphasise the diverse nature of SRH needs and preferences among sub-Saharan African youths. Insights from their unique priorities and unmet needs inform policy development and intervention strategies. Tailored awareness campaigns, youth-centred training for providers, youth-friendly and confidential SRH models, comprehensive education, and engaging youth in developing relevant solutions may improve acceptability, access, and health outcomes. These efforts could address barriers around stigma, costs, and lack of knowledge, contributing to enhanced SRH and wellbeing. Fulfilling youth SRH needs in sub-Saharan Africa requires commitment across sectors to evidence-based, youth-focused strategies placing their perspectives at the centre.

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Section: Youth Empowerment Through Targeted Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sexual and Reproductive Health needs and preferences of youths in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-synthesis

Uka,

White,

Smith

2024

Preprint

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“…Further claims suggested that the curriculum is based on Western ideals, funded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the United States Agency for International Development, that undermine the authority of parents and was therefore unsuited to the South African context (#LeaveOurKidsAlone Facebook page). A few scholars have reacted to this pushback (Chaskalson et al, 2019;Davis, 2019;McEwen, 2019;Ubisi, 2020) but most of this work appears to be in the popular media.…”

Section: Resistance To Comprehensive Sexuality Education In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is limited work on resistance to CSE in South Africa (Ubisi, 2020), particularly by parents. In contrast, this work is quite prominent in other parts of the world (see Robinson et al, 2017;Saarreharju et al, 2020), all of which shows how parents push back and contest the teaching and learning of CSE in their different contexts.…”

Section: Resistance To Comprehensive Sexuality Education In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Parents resist sexuality education through digital activism

Ngabaza

2023

J. educ. (Univ. KwaZulu-natal)

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South Africa has high rates of HIV infection among its young population, high rates of unintended pregnancy among the youth, and extremely high rates of gender-based violence. Given all this, it is essential that young people be taught skills that will enable them to manage their sexuality. Schools have been shown to be best placed to provide accurate and relevant information on young people's sexualities. Through the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) offers age-appropriate sexuality education as a response to these concerns. However, research in sexuality education shows that there is a lack of guidance and preparedness by educators, and this hampers how sexuality education is delivered in South African schools. A recent attempt by the DBE to upscale and strengthen the sexuality education curriculum in South African schools was met with resistance from parents and other lobby groups. This resistance was driven across many different media platforms, and particularly through an online hashtag #LeaveOurKidsAlone, largely on Facebook and Twitter. Through this resistance, we are introduced to parents/adult response to the teaching and learning of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in South African schools, a voice that has been missing to a great extent in this debate. Working within a broad feminist qualitative framework, I use critical discourse analysis to map out some of the key discourses emerging from the #LeaveOurKidsAlone resistance in an attempt to understand how parents/adults use social media to resist CSE in South Africa. I foreground critically adult voices and the implications of these for the teaching and learning of CSE in South African schools.

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“…If this is communicated clearly, it might quell the resistance from parents and other social circles (Chappell, 2014;2016;Hanass-Hancock et al, 2013;Rohleder et al, 2009). With that said, though, there remains conflict and tension between who should provide this psychosexual education (Louw et al, 2014;Rohleder et al, 2009;Ubisi, 2020b).…”

Section: Ubisimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This implies that parents of visually impaired children may assume or expect that hostel caretakers as in loco parentis will or should be the providers of HIV education and CSE. On the other hand, teachers of visually impaired children often report feeling reluctant, uncomfortable, and anxious about delivering HIV education and CSE, because parents may not permit their children being introduced to certain subjects such as anal sex, homosexuality, or masturbation being taught in the classroom (Chirawu et al, 2014;De Reus et al, 2015;Ubisi, 2020b). As the old African saying suggests, "When the two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers", as young people are denied the necessary education to empower themselves to make healthier sexual choices.…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The complexities of delivering a home-school based comprehensive sexuality curriculum to visually impaired learners

Ubisi

2023

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Following the ongoing study to develop a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) curriculum for visually impaired learners in South Africa, teachers reported hesitance from parents/guardians to inform their visually impaired children about sex. As such, this study sought to explore parents/guardians’ involvement in their children’s psychosexual education. Five parents/guardians were engaged in a focus-group discussion. Data were analysed thematically, while home-school partnership theory underpinned this study. Parents felt confident that they had prepared their children with enough psychosexual education to make healthy sexual choices, and therefore blamed teachers, security guards, and hostel caretakers for their children’s early sexual debut. However, no blame or accountability was assigned to the learners for their own sexual behaviour and decision-making. Interrogating the complexities within these socio-educational spaces suggested that there was confusion in the roles and responsibilities assumed for the capacitation of visually impaired learners with CSE. More importantly, the problem was not that parents were worried that these learners were not having safe sex, but that they should not be having sex at all now or in the future. The study suggests that a supportive, non-judgemental, and collaborative home-school partnership is necessary to recognise and guide the sexual agency of visually impaired learners.

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Analysing the hegemonic discourses on comprehensive sexuality education in South African schools

Cited by 7 publications

References 25 publications

The Sexual and Reproductive Health needs and preferences of youths in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-synthesis

The Sexual and Reproductive Health needs and preferences of youths in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-synthesis

Parents resist sexuality education through digital activism

The complexities of delivering a home-school based comprehensive sexuality curriculum to visually impaired learners

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