Teacher positioning on the teaching of sexuality education in Life Orientation

According to Kirby, Laris and Rolleri (2007) sex education and HIV/ aids education programs in schools are a promising type of intervention on preventing sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies and the spread of HIV/Aids. The South African education system has been transformed over the past 17 years. Within this new curriculum, a new subject called Life orientation was introduced (Department of Education, 2008). Within this subject teachers are expected to teach learners what sexuality is and this includes their attitudes, values and beliefs towards sexuality. Positioning theory was used in this study to analyse the positions teachers took when teaching sexuality education. Once the literature had been reviewed regarding Life orientation I came to realise it was a critically valuable subject that was often not given enough credit. Sexuality education only makes up a small part of this subject and is not allocated enough time. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the way teachers positioned themselves and were positioned on the teaching of sexuality education, specifically how they taught abstinence only, comprehensive sexuality or both. This was a qualitative case study done on four life orientation teachers within the Bloemfontein area. They were first observed while presenting two lessons on sexuality education and thereafter interviewed to gather data for the study. This data provided an in-depth view of how teachers positioned themselves towards sexuality education. The curriculum did not provide detail about how sexuality education should be taught. The teachers therefore made use of their religious or moral values to guide them while teaching sexuality education. Teachers positioned abstinence above comprehensive sexuality and used negative consequences to encourage learners to abstain from sexual relations.