Comprehensive Sexuality Education
1. Context and background
Guyana became an independent nation in 1966 after having been colonized first by the Netherlands and then the United Kingdom. Although it is located in South America, Guyana is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and shares economic, social and cultural ties with the Caribbean region. Gender equality and educational justice as a whole are legislative priorities, but societal challenges are ongoing. In the past two decades, the adolescent pregnancy rate has declined, but adolescent fertility and gender-based violence remain pervasive and high.
In 1998, the course Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) was introduced into the curricula of primary schools throughout the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In 2003, Guyana subscribed to the course.
Between 2011 and 2013, the Ministry of Education of Guyana adapted the curriculum guides for grades 1–9 that had been developed by the Ministry of Education of Jamaica to the Guyana context.
2. Terminology
The term ‘life skills’ is used as the umbrella for any themes related to sexuality education. The curriculum guides adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions and define life skills as ‘the abilities that enable one to adopt positive behaviors that allow one to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. The concept of life skills is based on the assumption that there are sets of life roles that each person needs to fulfill. Life skills can be classified in various ways. The approach adopted in the development of this syllabus classifies life skills as: (i) Social and interpersonal skills (ii) Cognitive skills and (iii) Emotional coping skills.’
Some examples of each category of skills are as follows: social and interpersonal skills include communication, refusal, assertiveness and empathy skills; cognitive skills include decision-making, critical thinking and self-evaluation; emotional coping skills include stress management skills, self-awareness, and skills for increasing internal locus of control. Another way of categorizing life skills, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is as follows: decision-making and problem solving; creative thinking and critical thinking; effective communication; interpersonal skills; self-awareness and empathy; and coping with emotions and stress.
The curriculum guides provided by the Ministry of Education also include the terms ‘comprehensive sexuality education’, ‘sexuality’ and ‘sexual health’.
3. Laws and policies
3.1. Relevant international/regional agreements to which the country is a signatory
| INTERNATIONAL | |
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Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Ratification date: 1980 |
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: 1991 |
Commits to the right to access appropriate health-related information. |
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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Ratification date: 2014 |
Commits to the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities. |
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International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Ratification date: 1977 |
Acknowledges that the right to sexual and reproductive health is an integral part of the right to health. |
| The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action |
Calls for sexuality education, counselling and support mechanisms for adolescents, and identifies essential topics. |
3.2. Relevant national laws and policies mandating comprehensive sexuality education
The Guyanese education system is governed by the Education Act, Chapter 39:01, which was last updated in 1998. Health education is not included in the curricula. In 2014, the Guyana Education Bill was drafted but it has not yet been enacted. The Bill calls for the national curriculum to promote the moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of students.
The School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids Policy of 2013 acknowledged the challenge of HIV and its impact on the education sector. It sought to encourage and facilitate the implementation of health and nutrition programming and HIV prevention throughout the whole education sector in Guyana. The policy mandates the inclusion of topics related to school health, nutrition and HIV, and the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) course into the education curriculum.
The Guyana Education Strategic Plan (ESP), which follows four-year cycles, provides the framework for the Ministry of Education's policies and priorities. The plans are organized around a series of strategic objectives that govern actions and funding at all levels of the education sector. Intermediate Outcome 3 of the Guyana Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2021-2025 refers to the implementation of preventative programmes that address social issues, such as violence and bullying, HFLE, the use of drugs among adolescents, managing and monitoring mental health disorder in schools, and establishing referral systems that will engender transparent reporting and response systems within schools.
According to the curriculum guides developed by the Ministry of Education, ‘the sexual behaviour of youths in Guyana gives cause for concern for the individual as well as long-term national development. Students do become pregnant and/or contract STIs before completing their secondary education. Schools are strategically placed to help reduce these rates by the way in which they can influence the sexual attitudes and behaviors of young people.’
3.3. Curricula
Mandatory or optional
The Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) course is mandatory for all students. According to the School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids Policy of 2013 , the HFLE curriculum should be taught at primary and secondary education level.
Model of delivery
Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) is a standalone course that is taught in primary and secondary education.
Comprehensiveness of content
According to the School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids Policy of 2013, information on school health, nutrition and HIV prevention and mitigation should be: gender appropriate; sensitive to religious, cultural and socio-economic diversity; and age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate. The Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum must include, among other things: ‘core issues of self-esteem, negotiation skills, values clarification, violence, substance use and abuse, sexuality and reproductive health and spirituality. HFLE shall be used to teach a wide range of health issues including, but not exclusively, HIV&AIDS, other STIs, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, non-communicable diseases, trail, road, river safety, and others.’
The content of the HFLE curriculum is organized around four thematic areas: self and interpersonal relationships; sexuality and sexual health; appropriate eating and fitness; and managing the environment.
Each theme aims to develop particular skills and knowledge. Components related to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) are found under the theme of self and interpersonal relationships. This is based on the principle that knowing who we are (self-concept) and our place in society is important for our well-being. The need to belong and be loved is important for everyone as this contributes to self-acceptance. Healthy relationships with family members, schoolmates and others also contribute to a healthy sense of self. . Students need to develop a healthy sense of self in order to develop and maintain healthy relationships with family members and friends at school. These skills also ensure that people and differences are respected. The more accepted and socially integrated a person is, the less likely they will be to engage in risky behaviours and the more likely they will be to survive and thrive in a world that demands the pooling of our individual and collective resources.
The sexuality and sexual health theme aims to teach sexuality on the basis that sexuality is an integral part of a person’s personality, and cannot be separated from other aspects of self. The expression of sexuality encompasses: physical, emotional, and psychological components, including issues related to gender; the factors that determine sexual roles, such as teachers, peers, family values and practices, religious beliefs, and social and cultural norms, as well as personal experiences. Educational interventions are to emphasize the role of the family and other social and religious institutions in healthy socialization to help to prevent or minimize any expressions of sexuality that are detrimental to emotional and physical health and well-being.
Learning resources
Curriculum guides by the Ministry of Education are available for grades 1 to 11. The guides include proposed teaching methodologies, suggested teaching strategies and tips, and further resources for teachers to use in their classrooms.
The curriculum guides for HFLE are as follows: Grade 2 Curriculum Guide, Grade 3 Curriculum Guide, Grade 4 Curriculum Guide, Grade 5 Curriculum Guide, Grade 6 Curriculum Guide, Grade 7 Curriculum Guide, Grade 8 Curriculum Guide, Grade 9 Curriculum Guide, and Syllabus Grades 10 & 11.
The Syllabus Grades 10 & 11 provide links and information with additional reference material for teachers to use. The HFLE Regional Framework also provides sample lesson plans and resources for teachers.
3.4. Teachers
Teacher preparedness and capacity building: A conceptual framework and training guide has been developed by CARICOM to prepare teachers to implement HLFE in the Caribbean region. The 2013 Policy on School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids states that all in-service/current teachers should receive training on teaching the HFLE curriculum through continuous professional development sessions provided by the School Health, Nutrition (SHN) & HIV unit and by regional SHN/HIV teams. Distance education methodologies incorporate a module on HFLE.
Whether teachers are mandated to be trained on provision/delivery of sexuality education either as part of PRESET or INSET: The 2013 Policy on School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids mandate for all the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) trainees to undertake a compulsory module in the teaching of the HFLE curriculum.
3.5. Schools
Access to school-based health services, including SRH: The 2013 Policy on School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids notes extra-curricular activities that the Ministry of Education should foster. These include: ongoing, out-of-classroom learning on SHN/HIV through school-based youth clubs and service organizations; special awareness events and festivals; sporting programmes; public relations and communications strategies; creative expression and edutainment; and confidential counselling services. Partnerships are to be sought with community, faith-based, governmental and non-governmental organizations in supporting and enhancing the delivery of these approaches, Co-and extra-curricular education on SHN/HIV is to be recognized as an essential component and integrated into the mainstream. Information on access to health counselling and support services within and outside the education institution, notably from other education stakeholders should also be available.
4. Governance
4.1 Responsible ministries
The Ministry of Education is the main body that oversees the Guyanese education system. The 2013 School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids Policy designates the coordination and monitoring role to departments within the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education collaborates with the Ministry of Health as a key partner in all SHN/HIV activities. Other key development partners such as NGOs and international organizations are also involved in providing funding and appropriate technical support and implementation at the national and regional levels.
4.2. Level of responsibility/decentralization and autonomy
Regional committees and regional education offices are responsible for coordinating implementation at the regional level. The 2013 School Health, Nutrition and HIV & Aids Policy designates roles and responsibilities to administrators, management and teachers of each educational institution. It states that: ‘administrators or management of educational institutions shall advise the board of the implications of the policy for the institution and, in accordance with the social dialogue provisions of this policy, develop both an institutional SHN/HIV plan and successful strategies for its implementation. Ensure that this policy is reflected in school improvement plans (SIPS).’
4.3. Government budget allocation
No information was found.
5. Monitoring and reporting
The curriculum guides and the different syllabuses include guidelines for assessment in which they specify that assessment should focus on skill acquisition rather than content.
