By Seleoe Nonyane
The ‘Maseribane High School deputy principal says that the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)which was introduced in schools as Life Skills Based Sexuality Education (LBSE) has borne the desired fruit as the number of girls who fall pregnant has dropped.
The UNESCO explains CSE as a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects. It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them.
It helps them realize their health, well-being and dignity, develop respectful social and sexual relationships, consider how their choices affect their own wellbeing and that of others understand and protect their rights throughout their lives debunk myths and misconceptions about sexuality.
Motonosi Tikoane says the CSE was introduced at the school, they have since experienced a decline in the number of girls who fall pregnant at the school.
In 2018 it was alleged that 250 girls from the school were found pregnant and this raised a lot of eyebrows in the community in Quthing and other parts of the country.
Tikoane said the allegations were false but admitted that the number of girls found pregnant was shockingly high.
“I do not have the exact number of how many girls were pregnant that year but it was around 30 and not 250 like it was claimed.
“Before the LBSE was introduced we experienced high pregnancy rate at our school and since its introduction we saw a drastic change with the number of students that fall pregnant declining.
“Since 2019 we have only had one case of a student who was impregnated while still in school,” he said.
He said that at the inception of the programme the students and the community at large were very receptive of the programme as it came at a time when it was needed the most looking at the rate at which teenage girls at the school were falling pregnant.
Those who fell pregnant were mostly girls between the ages of 16 to 21.
He said that although the teachers who teach these LBSE are not fully equipped and trained in the subject he was pleased with how the students have changed in behaviour after taking the subject.
He said that the subject is not only important to the students but it is also essential for the teachers as describing it as crucial for the tutors to obtain more extensive training in the subject so that the fruits of the subject can be seen. Not only at the school but also in neighbouring areas.
A grade 11 teacher at ‘the school Tṧitso Makoae, who also teaches CSE said that at the inception of the LBSE, students seemed a bit reluctant to the subject to a point where they would bunk it or not pay much attention to it.
But, in the long run the students began to gain interest in the subject and their behaviour has changed not only on the pregnancy rate but also with how they conduct themselves and treat others.
“In the past, I would have girls lining up at my door to report on being assaulted by their peers who were boys but since the introduction of the programme, I have received less to none complaints from girls saying that they have been assaulted.
“This means that the students are learning from the subject and are also practicing and living what they have learned in class.
“The first examination of the subject was introduced and I was pleased with the results and this proved to me that the students understand the subject,” he added.
Makoae said the only challenge with the programme is lack of teaching materials and training because no one at the school has obtained full training on the subjects due to limited number of workshops being carried out.
“We are not given an opportunity to attend more workshops. They take someone different every time workshops are being held so, we can never fully grasp everything with this rate.
“I am asking for more workshops because we have witnessed a big improvement in our students’ lives a situation that is evident that learners do grasp the subject,” Makoae noted.
A Grade 11 student at ‘Maseribane high school indicated that when the subject was first brought to them she extremely hated it and wanted nothing to do with it until she became a member of the Help Lesotho club which also deals with CSE.
“I learned that CSE is very important in my life because it helps me make better decisions for myself of which if I hadn’t come across and would have possibly fell into making wrong decisions.
“We are taught about making informed decisions about our lives. Before being introduced to the subject I had a very low self-esteem and confidence but now I have become a confident girl.
“I also joined the Help Lesotho Club which contributed a lot to the knowledge I have about CSE and I take what I learn in the club to other students who are not members of the club”, she said.
She said that when she comes across teen girls who are pregnant that touches her heart very deeply as she views herself as an advocate of preventing early unintended pregnancy from what she has acquired as much as CSE is concerned.
She believes that it is her duty to educate her peers about CSE and other related issues.
According to youngpeopletoday.net which was presented by the UNESCO national programme officer Lineo Malesaoana Molapo, in 2013 the East Southern Africa (ESA) made a ministerial commitment by ministers of health and education on access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information through quality CSE and access to SRHR services aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
The report also stated that the commitment was made necessary for the reason that in 2013, 34 percent of women aged from 20–24 years old were married or in union by the age of 18. By the age of 17, at least 10 per cent of young women in 10 countries in the region had started child bearing. The regional average of comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS was 41 per cent for men and 33 per cent for women. About 2.6 million young people aged from 15–24 years old were living with HIV in ESA.
