FF Plus welcomes the release of lesson plans for sex education

14 November 2019

The FF Plus welcomes the fact that the Department of Basic Education has finally decided to release the learning content of its comprehensive sex education lesson plans for schools to the public. This follows after the FF Plus, other parties and the general public put a lot of pressure on the Department to disclose the lesson plans.

A great number of objections have been raised against the learning content and it is necessary to make mention of the organisation Freedom of Religion SA (FORSA) in this regard.

The Department decided to review its approach to sex education in South African schools in the light of the ever-increasing number of teenage pregnancies and the spread of HIV. New scripted lesson plans were developed and in 2018, a pilot project was launched at certain schools.

When the pilot project was evaluated, it was found that teachers were not comfortable with the learning content and that learners' interest in sex increased.

Despite this report, the Department went ahead with plans to implement these lesson plans at all schools. The initial time framework aimed for 2021, but suspicions were raised that it might be implemented even sooner than that.

When the matter was first reported on in May this year, the FF Plus encouraged parents to keep an eye out for when the content is released and distributed for public participation and to make use of the opportunity to let their voices be heard. Later, the FF Plus asked the Minister in a written parliamentary question whether parents and teachers were consulted and whether she can guarantee that the lesson plans will not be implemented at schools at the beginning of 2020.

These questions remain unanswered, but the lesson plans have been published on the Department's website. It is available here https://www.education.gov.za/Home/ComprehensiveSexualityEducation.aspx

Although there are some positive aspects to the content, the FF Plus finds its explicit nature and the values that are advocated unacceptable. Parents and other interested parties can now familiarise themselves with the content and no longer have to rely on mere excerpts to make up their minds.

The FF Plus strongly encourages everyone who feels that they want to contribute to the discussion to study the material and send their responses to [email protected]. From there it will be channelled to the Portfolio Committee for Basic Education.

Issued by Wynand Boshoff, FF Plus MP and chief spokesperson: Basic Education,14 November 2019