Paper Title
Boundaries to Social-Just Sexuality Education in South Africa: An Analysis
Abstract
Many young people approach adulthood faced with conflicting and confusing messages about sexuality. This is
often exacerbated by embarrassment, silence and disapproval of open discussion of sexual matters by adults, including
parents and teachers. There have been several efforts to incorporate sexuality related education programmes in schools in
South Africa in order to address social challenges facing adolescents. There are, however, various barriers to effective
implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). These include inadequate resources such as textbooks for
CSE, teacher and pedagogical boundaries such as educators’ heavy reliance on authoritarian and didactic approaches to
teaching, and cultural boundaries as well as community opposition. It becomes apparent that Education should respond to the
current issues and challenges faced by young people by taking onto consideration and being informed about obstacles to
effective comprehensive sexuality education for young people in South Africa.
Keywords— Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE); Systems Theory; Culture.