The Sunday Times newspaper has got it wrong yet again with another misleading article on comprehensive sexuality education
17 March 2020
The Department of Basic Education has noted with concern and disappointment the Sunday Times newspaper’s continued deliberate misreporting on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
On Sunday 15 March 2020, the newspaper published online an article by Prega Govender with the headline which says: “Department backtracks on comprehensive sexuality education”. That is false. There is no truth in this headline nor is there accuracy whatsoever in the first paragraph of the article.
The newspaper published the exact same article in its print edition with a different and yet completely misleading and false headline which said: “Explicit textbooks become optional”, the headline is followed by a sub-headline which is misleading the public even further by saying “Education bosses get cold feet over plan to teach birds and bees”.
The newspaper has used a combination of fact and fiction to attract the public to its publication. The published articles, which border on fake news, have done more damage to the Department’s efforts aimed at addressing a whole range of social ills that impact negatively on the lives of young people.
The DBE is aware of lobby groups against CSE that is creating misleading social media posts and feeding the public contaminated information.
The DBE has cautioned that there is a difference between what is on the internet, social media and what is contained in the books of the Department. Parents are therefore urged to verify with the Department before making decisions based on information published by certain organisations and individuals.
The purpose of CSE is to address sexual abuse, HIV infections, learner pregnancy, and bullying and peer pressure and help learners to make the correct decisions and stay in school until they complete Grade 12, at least.
The Sunday Times is leading in perpetuating the outrage with the continued reference to “sex education” and its misleading headlines. The correct reference is Comprehensive Sexuality Education. It is part of a section of the Life Orientation subject, which focuses on “sexuality” as opposed to “sex”.
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SUNDAY TIMES FICTION |
THE FACTS |
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“Department backtracks on comprehensive sexuality education” |
The DBE is continuing with a pilot on the use of Scripted Lesson Plans on Comprehensive Sexuality Education in 1500 schools, 5 provinces. |
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“Explicit textbooks become optional” |
There are no explicit textbooks. The Sunday must produce the textbooks they refer to because the Department has not printed any textbooks for Life Orientation or Comprehensive Sexuality Education as stated in the article. |
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“Dr Granville Whittle contradicts Minister Motshekga” |
False, Dr Whittle is the senior manager responsible for the implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education component in Life Skills/Life Orientation subject. The pilot continues as scheduled with training taking place in the 5 provinces. |
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“The Department plans to force teachers to use explicit learning material” |
The DBE is testing the use of SLPs in schools. The content in the teacher guides and learner books have been published on the DBE website education.gov.za for members of the public to review. |
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“Sex education lessons’ |
DBE teaches comprehensive sexuality education NOT “sex education” |
The Department has now made available all the scripted lesson plans for people to read and review. The Department is therefore urging the nation to resist and ignore the latest misinformation campaign that seeks to spread more confusion and sow panic around the comprehensive sexuality education.
Since the introduction of CSE in 2000, the Department has held continuous consultative engagements with stakeholders, both at the national and provincial level. These engagements were specifically informed by, among others, the South African National HIV Prevalence, high rates of learner and teenage pregnancy which resulted in school dropout.
IMPORTANT FACTS:
There is no new CSE curriculum to be introduced;
There is no implementation of a “new curriculum” in 2020;
The department is conducting a pilot in 5 provinces, 1 500 schools;
The Department is only testing the use of Scripted Lesson Plans, nothing more.
Consultation has taken place in the areas where the pilot is taking place.
DBE has held a series of engagements with various stakeholders to clarify the matter. The stakeholders include; religious groups, traditional leaders, civil society, youth formations, school governing body formations, teacher unions, academics and others.
The Department is open and will continue, to engage concerned citizens who have an input to make regarding the scripted lesson plans on comprehensive sexuality education in particular and Life Orientation in general.
Issued by Elijah Mhlanga on behalf of Department of Basic Education, 17 March 2020
