US researchers find need for comprehensive sex education in Guyanese schools

Researchers from prominent universities in the United States recently conducted a study in Guyana and they have since underscored the need for a comprehensive sex education (CSE) programme in local schools.
The Guyana Foundation said on Friday that, in collaboration with the George Washington University and the Elliott School for International Affairs – both located in Washington, DC – it recently hosted research personnel M Elliott and C Pereira during their stay in Guyana.
It was noted that the findings of the study were based on a wide cross section of interviews that was completed during the research period.
“The report concluded that as Guyana looks to the future, a comprehensive sex education curriculum that addresses the needs of Guyanese youth in primary and secondary schools will be crucial to increasing inclusive and equitable education for all,” a massive from the Guyana Foundation detailed.
It went on to state that the research study further posits that the implementation of a comprehensive sex education curriculum in Guyanese schools for youth under 18 will decrease teen pregnancy, decrease the transmission of HIV/AIDS, prevent gender-based violence, and promote bodily autonomy and empowerment.
The full report is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Education and other educators. This collaboration has gone further to prepare a sample curriculum and a detailed lesson plan which is available through the Guyana Foundation.
In a comment, Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya Singh-Bodden shared that she and her team would sincerely like to thank George Washington University, particularly Professor Jennifer Fox and the Elliott School of International Affairs for their invaluable contribution to Guyana.
“We will make good use of your findings. These results clearly point out that if we start early enough with sex education, we can save lives and empower people not to fall victim to gender-based violence, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. Guyana needs to protect every citizen, not lose any more,” Singh-Bodden stressed.
This is not the first time the need for comprehensive sex education in Guyanese schools has been brough up.
Back in 2018, during Episode 11 of the University of Guyana’s (UG) “Turkeyen and Tain Talks”, it was highlighted that the current Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme, offered in secondary schools, lacks relevance and is inadequate in meeting the needs of adolescents while denying them access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.
This view was expressed by Representative of the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF), Joel Simpson, while speaking on the topic: “Education and Freedom: Education Reform and Socio-Economic Development in Guyana”.
In his presentation, Simpson had said that the lack of comprehensive sexuality education, homophobic and transphobic bullying and school dropouts along with the gaps in the reintegration of teenage mothers into the school system were issues that were deliberately ignored while discussing education reform.
He had noted too that evaluations by the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) have shown that programmes on sexual education could help youths delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce risky sexual behaviour, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase responsible behaviour, including protection from HIV; Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy.
In addition, Simpson had explained that the GRPA’s evaluations of the HFLE programme taught in public secondary schools in Guyana found that it ignored the basic human rights of young people by denying them critical information on a range of issues.
Moreover, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in Guyana (UNICEF Guyana) has been pushing Comprehensive Sexuality Education under its Spotlight Initiative to help combat violence against women and girls here.
Launched in 2017, the Spotlight Initiative is a global partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in support of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.
UNICEF Guyana is expected to contribute and lead several Spotlight Pillars. Among those is Pillar 3, which addresses Prevention with the recognition that favourable social norms, attitudes and behaviours should be promoted at the community and individual level to prevent Violence Against Women and Children (VAWG), including family violence.
This includes equipping children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to realise their health, well-being and dignity, and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) was identified as vital to this.
According to UNICEF Guyana, the school settings provide an important opportunity to reach large numbers of young people with sexuality education before they become sexually active, as well as offer an appropriate structure within which to receive CSE systematically over time. Additionally, UN body noted that teachers remain central to the process given their critical role in the effective delivery of sexuality education with the right knowledge, skills, and comfort levels. (G8)