Comprehensive Sexuality Education

1. Context and background

Officially called the Republic of Vanuatu, Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean comprising 83 islands, of which some 65 are inhabited. More than 50% of its population is of school-going age. While Vanuatu’s adolescent fertility rate has decreased in recent years, it remains among the highest in the Pacific region.

According to the Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan 2021-2030, education is funded jointly by parents and communities, churches and the government with support from donor partners. While relevant policies prioritize the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights), there is no legal prohibition on girls being expelled from school due to pregnancy or parenthood. Structural and social factors undermine their SRH and freedom (UNFPA, 2022).

In 2013, the Vanuatu National Syllabus included family life education for the senior-secondary level students (years 11–13). The Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy and Implementation Strategy 2017-2020 followed by the Vanuatu Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 aimed to promote awareness of SRH among young people through the delivery of the Family Life Education curriculum in all schools. In line with the Vanuatu Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 the first family life education units were delivered for Year 11 through a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, and this will continue for these students as they progress through to Year 13 (by 2023).

2. Terminology

The Vanuatu Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 and the Family Life Education Senior Secondary syllabus use the term ‘sexual and reproductive health education’.

3. Laws and policies

3.1. Relevant international/regional agreements to which the country is a signatory

INTERNATIONAL
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Accession date: 1995	Acknowledges the need to guarantee sexuality education free from discrimination and stereotypes, conveying gender equality values.
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Ratification date: 1993	Commits to the right to access appropriate health-related information.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Ratification date: 2008	Commits to the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities.
UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education Not ratified	Reaffirms that education is a human right. It highlights states' obligations to ensure free and compulsory education, bans any form of discrimination, and promotes equality of educational opportunity.
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action Attended	Calls for sexuality education, counselling and support mechanisms for adolescents, and identifies essential topics.
REGIONAL
The Asia and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development (2013) (Asia Pacific)	Commits to the design, funding and implementation of ‘comprehensive sexuality education and life skills’ programmes that ‘provide accurate information on human sexuality, gender equality, human rights, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health, while recognizing the role and responsibilities of parents’.

At the regional level, the Pacific Regional Education Framework 2018-2030 supports the implementation of life-skills programmes through cross-curricula approaches.

3.2. Relevant national laws and policies mandating comprehensive sexuality education

The 2014 Education Act, which is responsible for all aspects of education in Vanuatu, is mandated to provide the minimum curriculum approved by the National Education Commission. In 2013, the Vanuatu National Syllabus included family life education for senior-secondary students (years 11–13).

The Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan 2021-2030 includes eliminating gender inequalities in education, an important goal of the Ministry of Education and Training.

The Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Policy and Implementation Strategy 2017-2020 includes key performance indicators on adolescent SRH with the objective of ‘Improved sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people in Vanuatu through the reduction of adolescent pregnancy and STI cases, and strengthened HIV prevention’ and a high-level indicator of a reduction in births to women aged 15-19 years as a proportion of all births. Upon finalization of the family life education curriculum units, the implementation of this initiative should be ‘actively supported at all levels, and across multiple sectors’ (p.30). The Family Life Education syllabus has been finalized for years 11–13 (UNFPA, 2022).

The Vanuatu Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 includes an objective on strengthened heal and wellbeing for young people, which states that: ‘Family Life Education (FLE): Ministry of Health to support the Ministry of Education and Training to expedite the immediate introduction of the FLE curriculum for Years 11-13 in 2021, and scale-up for all other year levels soon after. Health workers from local facilities (or provincial public health officers) to support through the delivery of some FLE components in faith-based schools where there is reluctance from teachers/management to teach these.’

The Gender Equity Education Policy 2018 aims to provide equal opportunities and rights for all those in education and training to serve the country and the world as skilled human resources. A key aim of the education system is to ensure equality for all. The policy covers the formal education sector, including pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary education.

The Family Life Education Senior Secondary syllabus (2013) is aimed at delivering age-appropriate information and education on SRH in schools.

3.3. Curricula

Mandatory or optional

The 2013 Vanuatu national syllabus includes family life education for senior-secondary students (years 11–13).

Model of delivery

Family Life Education is implemented in senior-secondary education in years 11–13 as a standalone subject and incorporated into junior secondary education in the subject of Health and Physical Education. Certain subjects related to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) themes are integrates with other subjects such as social science, science, and food and technology.

Comprehensiveness of content

According to the Family Life Education Senior Secondary syllabus, the aim of Family Life Education is to provide a life-skills and gender-based education programme to support the holistic development of students so they can reach their full potential and become responsible adults. The Family Life Education Senior Secondary syllabus has four strands: human growth and development; STI prevention and safety; relationships; and health promotion. The content includes: a focus on relationships; understanding gender; sexuality and sexual behaviours; SRH; violence and safety; STIs and HIV; the benefits and risks in the use of different contraceptives; gender violence; building healthy relationships; assertive communication; negotiation skills through dialogue; strategies for coping with difficult emotions; and mental health. While content relating to the human body and its development is not specifically addressed in the Family Life Education syllabus, this is addressed in syllabuses for earlier years (e.g. the Health and Physical Education syllabus (years 4–6) covers the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty) (UNFPA,2022).

Learning resources

The Family Life Education Senior Secondary syllabus provides teachers with detailed content learning outcomes and indicators.

3.4. Teachers

According to the 2013 Teaching Service Act, the minister may, in consultation with the Teaching Service Commission, determine the required qualifications and any other required standard for a specific position or class, a licence to teach in schools, including a conditional licence. The 2001 Vanuatu Institute of Teacher Education Act establishes among the Institute's functions the provision of professional development programmes for teachers, as well as the upgrading of formal qualifications. However, there was no information relating to teacher training on topics associated with CSE.

3.5. Schools

No information on school-based health services was found.

The Vanuatu Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 includes a key performance indicator on strengthened health and wellbeing for young people, and also mentions adolescent SRH. Promoting the awareness of, and delivering SRH services to young people (without the need for parent/guardian or adult consent) is a priority of the policy. In terms of the policy, adolescent SRH services, including family planning, must be affordable to young people. In order to facilitate greater uptake among young people, the Ministry of Health is advised to assess the feasibility of doing away with all fees for adolescent SRH services in certain age bands (such as young people under the age of 18). It is also advised that messages and services promote the informed use of contraceptives to limit the personal and social impact of unintended pregnancies on both the mother and father, and to highlight the value of condoms and antimicrobials for the prevention and management of STIs. It is also recommended that efforts and resources be directed towards the immediate strengthening of adolescent SRH services and that they are located close to where Family Life Education is being delivered.