Community involvement in the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education in rural areas: a case of selected secondary schools in Chibombo district of central province, Zambia
Date
2021-04
Authors
Daka, Harrison
Kawonga, Sekelani
. Mbozi, Emily H
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI)
Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate community
involvement in the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality
Education (CSE) in rural areas particularly in selected
secondary schools of Chibombo district of Zambia. The
objectives of the study included: to determine the major
community stakeholders involved in the implementation of
Comprehensive Sexuality Education in selected secondary
schools in Chibombo district; to examine how head teachers
promote community participation in Comprehensive Sexuality
Education in selected schools in Chibombo district; to establish
the challenges that the rural secondary schools face in involving
the community in the implementation of Comprehensive
Sexuality Education in selected secondary schools in Chibombo
district and to determine measures which can be put in place to
enhance community involvement in the implementation of
Comprehensive Sexuality Education in rural secondary schools.
The research design which was used was Case Study in which
qualitative data was collected. Data was collected from 92
respondents distributed as follows: fifty (50) pupils; seven (7)
head teachers; seven (7) heads of department; fifteen (15)
teachers; three (3) headmen; six (6) parents and four (4) church
leaders. Data was collected using questionnaires, semi-structured
interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings of the study
showed that teachers, health personnel, parents, chiefs, headmen,
church leaders, law officers, and civic leaders were used in the
implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education. The
school managers created opportunities for community
involvement in the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality
Education through the integration of Comprehensive Sexuality
Education in other programmes in the school such as guidance
and counselling, Annual General Meetings (AGMs),
infrastructural development, awards day, re-entry policy,
controlling of bad behaviour and motivational talks. Traditions,
low educational levels and literacy levels, negative attitude to
educational programmes, long distance to school, irregular
communication between the school and community, the use of
English in secondary schools, women willing to be involved but
not fully committed, lack of funds from the government and
poverty among the members of the community were the major
challenges to community involvement in Comprehensive
Sexuality Education. The measures to be put in place to enhance
Comprehensive Sexuality Education in rural secondary schools
included sensitisation meetings, workshops, opening programmes
which were specifically for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
and include the community. Finally, based on the findings, the
following recommendations have been made: The Ministry of
General Education must make Comprehensive Sexuality
Education a standalone subject and must be examinable. There
is need to train all in-service teachers in Comprehensive
Sexuality Education through workshops. Deliberate
Comprehensive Sexuality Education programmes and activities
must be put in place to allow the community to be involved in the
implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in rural
secondary schools. The community must be allowed to use
familiar language and not just English when they are involved in
the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in
rural secondary schools.
Key words: Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Culture,
Stakeholders, Community
Description
Article
Keywords
Comprehensive sexuality education. , Sexuality education. , Sexuality education--Community involvement. , Sexual instruction for teenagers.