Teachers who refuse to teach primary school children about sex face disciplinary hearings by the Basic Education Department.
This is according to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, who indicated this in a written response to a parliamentary question posed by DA MP Nomsa Marchesi this week.
Marchesi asked what action would be taken against educators who refuse to teach comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) based on moral or religious objections.
The CSE has in recent months sparked outrage after explicit content and pictorial representations in some of its scripted lesson plans (SLPs) appeared in public.
Motshekga said life orientation teachers could not refuse to teach CSE as it was part of the curriculum and has been taught since 2000.
“Disciplinary action will be taken against educators who refuse to teach.
“A substitute educator will be appointed in the case where the educator in question is suspended pending disciplinary procedures,” she said.
DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS: Min. Angie Motshekga
Motshekga said teachers were provided with a three-day training course that would cover the content and teaching methodologies used.
This, she said, includes how to use the scripted lesson plans and lesson demonstrations.
“Subject advisors are also provided with coaching and mentoring training to be able to provide continuous support to teachers during implementation,” she said.
But Naptosa president Basil Manuel said the minister’s reply was “arrogant”.
Manuel said nobody would know what went inside the classroom, but his union encouraged teachers to teach the
curriculum.
“It’s the teaching material that is problematic... Some of the material is shocking, to say the least,” Manuel said.
National Teachers Union
president Allen Thompson said members were “discomforted” after they received the textbooks on CSE.