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A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613924293083136 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Naicker, Bavani |
| author2 | Eigelaar-Meets, Ilse |
| author_browse | Eigelaar-Meets, Ilse Naicker, Bavani |
| author_facet | Eigelaar-Meets, Ilse Naicker, Bavani |
| author_sort | Naicker, Bavani |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136120 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:52.525Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136120 A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa Naicker, Bavani Eigelaar-Meets, Ilse Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Naicker, B. 2026. A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/77672a34-bc15-45e4-b832-b7c37665d8af My thesis is an examination of the Life Orientation (LO) Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) as a primary intervention strategy against gender-based violence (GBV). The assessment of CSE as a preventative instrument employed values-based education (VbE) to socialise the youth to conduct themselves in a manner that aligns with the democratic principles of the South African constitution. To build a practised democratic ethos in society includes the actualisation of gender equity. The just treatment of all genders is a dire need globally, but especially in South Africa. The rate of femicide, rape, and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the country is almost five times higher than the global average (Africa Check, 2025). South Africa has almost the equivalent occurrences of sexual violence compared to war-stricken countries (Moffett, 2006:129). Thus, intervening behaviour itself is insufficient. Rather, the catalyst of violence — personal values and beliefs — must be addressed to prevent sexual violence rather than simply reducing its occurrence. A VbE framework for sexuality education was said to be a better fit for preventing violence, as previous renditions of CSE used an evidence-based education (EBE) approach in the pedagogical practices and curriculum creation. This is because EBE was taught in isolation from the social context and employed top-down interaction concerning teaching. However, the use of VbE argues that transformative teaching must address knowledge through a sociological lens, taking into consideration lived experiences and how information could be made applicable in daily life. This was in the hopes that the youth would practice the education received to make decisions that protected the health and safety of themselves and others. Despite these benefits of this model, there has been little demonstrated impact on the occurrence of sexual violence within the country. To determine the reason for VbE's limited success, I conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the CSE Scripted Lesson Plans (SLP) and focus groups with previous learners of this syllabus. My objective was to evaluate what underlying discourse and discursive values were embedded in the CSE syllabus, in the school culture and student-teacher interactions (all critical socialisation agents). Investigating how CSE was valued by previous learners provided insight into the reasons CSE has had little influential power. What I found was that VbE and its corresponding democratic principles were not practiced within the curriculum or via the school culture. With regards to the CSE syllabus it at best employed a gender-blind discourse approach to the teaching of equality that delegitimised the need for problematic exercises of masculinity and domination to be addressed. At worst, the discourse employed within the CSE SLPs was hegemonic masculinity, which upheld masculine violence. Themes within the curriculum include discussions of risk avoidance and a discourse about safety. These narratives accepted that sexual violence was inevitable and therefore placed the onus on learners not to be sexually violated, rather than emphasising that learners should not sexually violate. The explicit teaching pedagogy for personal values does not spur reciprocal engagement and interaction between learners and teachers, as VbE is meant to do. Rather, the values vocabulary operated as if it were EbE through closed-ended questions, stating information without room for discussion and proper internalisation of principles. Lastly, the implicit teaching of democratic values, specifically regarding gender equality and justice, was not experienced by learners through the role modelling of teachers. Experience is a crucial socialising agent in the code of conduct one adopts. Participants recounted stories of being blamed for being sexually harassed and found perpetrators of misogynistic behaviour were excused at the victim's expense. Hence, the explicit and implicit teaching of VbE did not employ pedagogical practices such as reciprocal engagement or role modelling, resulting in CSE not being valued and, in turn, being insufficient in supporting the learners to adopt a democratic ethos. Masters 2026-04-22T13:54:29Z 2026-04-22T13:54:29Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136120 en Stellenbosch University 88 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Naicker, Bavani A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa |
| title | A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa |
| title_full | A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa |
| title_short | A reflection on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education in South Africa |
| title_sort | reflection on the comprehensive sexuality education in south africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136120 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT naickerbavani areflectiononthecomprehensivesexualityeducationinsouthafrica AT naickerbavani reflectiononthecomprehensivesexualityeducationinsouthafrica |