The Basic Education Department has dismissed a media report that it is backtracking on its Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) initiative.
“That is false. There is no truth in this headline nor is there accuracy whatsoever in the first paragraph of the article,” said the department of a Sunday newspaper article.
Such articles said the department on Tuesday, not only border on fake news but are also damaging efforts aimed at addressing a whole range of social ills that impact negatively on the lives of young people.
The Department of Basic Education clarified, that it is continuing with a pilot on the use of Scripted Lesson Plans (SLPs) on Comprehensive Sexuality Education in 1500 schools in five provinces.
The DBE is testing the use of SLPs in schools. The contents of the teacher guides and learner books have been published on the DBE website www.education.gov.za for members of the public to review.
The purpose of CSE is to address sexual abuse, HIV infections, learner pregnancy, and bullying among others. It also aims to help learners to make the correct decisions and stay in school until they complete Grade 12.
Since the introduction of CSE in 2000, the DBE has held continuous consultative engagements with stakeholders, both at 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,” it said.