LIFE SKILLS TEACHERS’ VIEWS TOWARDS THE TEACHING OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (SRH) CONCEPTS AT JUNIOR PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL

Abstract

Malawi is grappling with a number of social problems including teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and child abuse. In order to address these problems, the Government implemented a curriculum intervention strategy; integrating Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) concepts into Life Skills as a subject in primary schools. SRH concepts are important because they tackle issues which have for a long time been considered culturally sensitive, secret and meant for adults only in society. The aim of this study was to explore the views of Life Skills teachers towards the teaching of SRH concepts at junior primary school level. The study was conducted in three primary schools in Nkhotakota district. Guiding questions for the study focused on two aspects: the challenges which teachers encounter when teaching SRH concepts and the coping strategies in the teaching of the aforementioned concepts. The study used a qualitative research design and employed phenomenology as methodology. The major findings of this study indicated that although teachers are generally supportive of SRH concepts as a means of assisting learners with making informed choices, there are some challenges in teaching the subject. Such challenges include the fact that some teachers are not comfortable to teach the content at junior primary level since the learners are too young for SRH concepts. What was prevalent throughout the study was the need for Life Skills teachers to receive support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the community and the school in order to teach SRH concepts effectively.