Sex education

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What will Grades 4 and 5 be taught in SA’s controversial new sex-ed lessons?

Angie Motshekga has vowed to ‘intensify’ the rollout of a new sex education curriculum – but there’s an almighty fuss over the learning materials.

Sex education

Photo: Unsplash

After a boom in teenage pregnancies was recorded in South Africa during the pandemic, the Department of Basic has Education vowed to ‘intensify sex education lessons in our schools – in order to hammer home safe practices and better decision-making skills. However, the new curriculum has already caused a stir.

Sex education seen as best way to tackle teen pregnancies

The Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) portfolio tackles a range of taboo subjects – starting from Grade 4. Religious groups and concerned parents believe that their kids will be learning ‘too much, too soon’ when it is fully implemented – and a petition to abandon the curriculum has been doing the rounds.

Minister Angie Motshekga, however, is set to step-up the rollout:

“The department and its stakeholders will intensify the implementation of Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) in schools, which aims to empower young people with age-appropriate information.

“Early and unwanted pregnancy perpetuates poverty and disrupts the growth and development of our young people. The time has come to bury our differences with the religious sector, the traditional leadership, parents, guardians and all others who opposed the implementation of CSE.”

CSE curriculum latest: What sex education lessons are planned for our younger students?

Grade 4:

The curriculum itself seems quite innocuous. Fears about ‘age-inappropriate content’ don’t really materialise here. There’s a lot of learning on ‘good and bad touch’, while the values of consent are also hammered home.

The sex education curriculum for Grade 4 includes the following topics:

  • Respect for my own body
  • Respecting the bodies of others
  • Dealing with conflict
  • Emotions – “Why am I feeling this way”
  • Bullying
  • Responding to bullying
  • Culture, society and sexuality
  • The basics of HIV and AIDS
  • Transmission of HIV
  • Celebrating the life of Nkosi Johnson

Perhaps the biggest bone of contention is two very basic drawings, which illustrate the genitals of young girls and boys. It’s far from graphic, and the DBE believes it is the correct way to educate Grade 4 children about their bodies.

Here’s one of the images that appears in the textbook. It appears uncensored in the educational materials [Photo: DBE]

Grade 5:

The focus shifts towards more personal choices, and empowering children to say ‘no’ in difficult situations. Mainly orientated around sexual and abusive scenarios, Grade 5s are also exposed to the explicit offering of drugs.

A scenario regarding drug abuse is discussed – Photo: DBE

Again, there are more in-depth lessons on HIV and AIDS, and a rap about ‘no-go zones on the body also features.

The sex education curriculum for Grade 5 includes the following topics:

  • Body Image
  • I can choose my relationships
  • This is my body and I can say what happens to it
  • The benefits of good and safe relationships
  • Child Abuse – “Keeping myself safe from abuse”
  • Sexual grooming: I can say “NO”!
  • Dealing with violent situations: “What is sexual violence?”
  • Learning from our elders
  • Should boys and girls be treated differently?
  • Dealing with the stigma of HIV
  • Changing attitudes towards people infected with HIV and AIDS

Grade 6:

At this point, the CSE curriculum does move towards more ‘adult’ issues. LQBTQIA+ awareness takes a prominent role, and even the topic of masturbation is mentioned in one lesson. Body image and bullying are also up for discussion.

The sex education curriculum for Grade 6 includes the following topics:

  • Body image: “My body is changing”
  • Body image: “I am who I am”
  • Body image: Acceptance of self
  • Negative and positive peer pressure
  • Behaviours that put pressure on us
  • Bullying and links to gender-based violence
  • Bullies can change
  • What is gender stereotyping , sexism and abuse?
  • Gender equality, stereotypes and bias
  • HIV and AIDS, stigma, care, treatment and support
Homosexuality and harmful prejudices are tackled in Grade 6 – Photo: DBE