Department of Education denies delay in sex health education at schools
"The true motive of their conduct will become clear in time."
THE Department of Basic Education has denied a statement from Doctors Without Borders claiming that the roll-out of critical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for secondary school learners in South Africa has been on hold for two years.
According to the Department, the National Policy on HIV, STIs and TB for Learners, Educators, Schools Support Staff and Officials in the Basic Education Sector is now at School Advocacy and Implementation Level.
“Between 14 February 2018 and 30 August 2018, policy advocacy workshops were conducted in all nine provinces. The workshops were attended by officials from Provincial and District Education, Health and Social Development departments, Provincial Aids Councils and partners implementing SRH programmes in schools. Provincial advocacy implementation plans were developed during the meeting and provinces are at different stages of the implementation plans,” said a statement from the department.
However, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) claims that learner testing in its well-established school health programme fell 74% in 2018, after the programme team was barred by the district department of education from offering services on school grounds.
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Both learners and educators from the district have subsequently expressed frustration at the impact of this delay on the efficient functioning of the school health programme. A number of anxious parents have written letters to the Director General of the DBE calling for SRH services in schools to commence.
One of the letter writers is Thandiwe Shembe, a parent and teacher who said: “It’s a good thing that services like HIV testing go to schools because we as parents might find it awkward to take our children to the hospitals. And teenagers have their own problems as they are growing up and maybe they can’t approach us as parents because they are afraid of the reaction.”
“MSF is now making an urgent call on the DBE to release clear guidelines on the implementation of school-based SRH services, ensuring that these instructions reflect learner preferences and the experience of existing school health programmes,” said MSF.
“The guidelines they mention are actually being finalised for release next week. It is unwise for an organization such as MSF to resort to skulduggery when a simple request for information would suffice especially where it is unnecessary because due to their proximity to the Department they have an advantage. The true motive of their conduct will become clear in time but for now we remain focused on the job at hand,” retorted the department.
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