Implementation of Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) in Junior Public Secondary Schools in Plateau State

INTRODUCTION

Before the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the concept of sexuality was a rare mention in the public space in most parts of Nigeria . Adolescents especially in the developing countries, still suffer from lack of access to adequate and correct sexual and reproductive health information and skills; have remained highly vulnerable to and victims of sexually transmitted infections/diseases including HIV/AIDS. Generally, 60 percent of the total number of persons infected are young people aged 15 -25 who die yearly (WHARC, Critical Issues in Reproductive Health and Rights in Nigeria. 2002). The ICPD in 1994 articulated some of the reproductive rights of adolescents to make decision(s) about their reproduction, free of discrimination, coercion, and violence. Consequently, there have been huge increase in the activities of NGOs / CBOs / CSO and other faith based organizations aimed at promoting the reproductive health and rights of disadvantage adolescent in developing countries including Nigeria.

THE NEED FOR FAMILY LIFE AND HIV/AIDS EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PLATEAU STATE 

Adolescent is a time when young people experience and adjust to rapid changes in their bodies. It is a critical moment when they need concrete, realistic and relevant information from adults about what is happening to them and what they are suppose to do in a variety of situations concerning their reproductive health and right. Youth, Adolescent, Reflection and Action Centre (YARAC) Jos, with support from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation began a process of implementing Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) in 2002- 2004 and commenced the second phase in 2005-2007. The project has enabled the space that commenced the main-streaming of Family Life and HIV and AIDS Education (FLHE) for young people in public schools in plateau State. This initial action focused on 40 schools. However, with extended support. over 217 public schools are benefiting from the project in terms of training of teachers, production of relevant resource/IEC materials, sensitization and mobilization of stakeholders, advocacy actions to mention these few actions.

To get to the extent to which YARAC is with the mainstreaming , it is important to mention the role of the parent institution (stakeholder) the Ministry of Education in Plateau State . The ministry has played its role in spite the many political difficulties in the state, to create an enabling environment for the implementation of the project. This is a major breakthrough.

To enhance performance and quality service delivery, YARAC also enjoys support from Management Strategies for Africa (MSA). Since 2004 MSA has continuously provided support in varying ways: to undertake a learning visit to Action Health Incorporated (AHI) and the Lagos State Ministry of Education (LSME) on the implementation of Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education; to carry out sensitization and mobilization of support of all relevant stakeholders to key into the project; staff capacity building to ensure quality service delivery.

Several other activities have taken place so as to get other stakeholders (members of the public, parents, policy makers, Teachers Associations, CSOs, Religious Leaders, traditional leaders, Line ministries, etc) to support the implementation of FLHE in the schools.

Over the last five years, the objectives of the project have been to:

• Increase and improve young people's knowledge, attitudes and practices on sexuality and reproductive health and right issues through mainstreaming FLHE in over 217 public junior secondary schools.
• Enhance the capacity of 434 teachers and 217 school administrators to implement the sexuality education curriculum through training by 2008
• Increase knowledge based of young people by 90% on contraceptive use, transmission of sexually related diseases (STDs and HIV/AIDS) through popular education; production and distribution, of friendly IEC materials.
• Reduce from 5% to 0.1% cases of female school drop out as a result of teen pregnancy by 2008
• Ensure qualitative stakeholders participation and commitment to the promotion of sexuality education in schools through the establishment of state stakeholders action committee on young people's sexuality education in the state
• Increase partnership through networking with other groups working on sexuality and reproductive health.

YARAC is very optimistic about the end results which is ensuring access to quality Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education for young people in Plateau State . This optimism is profound because of the tremendous support from the State Ministry of Education and other relevant ministries, and stakeholders in the state.

In August and September 2005, YARAC planned to train two hundred and seventy two additional teachers to scale up for effective implementation of the project. Unfortunately, only 159 teachers ended up receiving the training.

DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEME OF WORK: (SOCIAL STUDIES AND INTEGRETED SCIENCE)

To be able to get to this stage, YARAC took series of actions at different levels. The project started as “Bridging Gaps...” and today we are talking about “Beyond Gaps...” And to bridge the gaps, all stakeholders needed to appreciate the situation of young people by recognizing the realities of the moment regarding their social and health behaviors. Certain barriers needed and still need to be approached carefully; these disconnects have been reasonably bridged. The assurances helped us to look beyond the gaps: the teachers need training; preparing their comfort level to be able to discuss and teach topics that related to sexuality and reproductive health is simply unavoidable. Adolescents need every sincere information regarding their sexuality. Rigid cultural, religious norms or values; or failure to give reliable information is nothing but destroying the future of these young people especially with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Not when many young girls get pregnant and are thrown out of school unlike their male counterparts; not when poverty is a contributory factor to why parents prefer to sacrifice their daughters to early marriage in order to keep the boys in school. Family Life and HIV/AIDS education for young people cannot be sacrificed to unchanging cultural or religious norms and values or lack of political will power.

Consequently, YARAC in collaboration with the relevant sections in Plateau state Ministry of Education, produced schemes of work for JSS 1, 2 and 3 as a guide to the implementation in two subject areas: Integrated Science and Social Studies. The objective for the schemes of work was to provide trained FLHE teachers with working tools to enable them deliver effectively the knowledge acquired during their training to the students.

IMPLEMENTATION OF NCSEC/FLHE

It is important to recognize that the apprehension regarding the teaching of sexuality education in schools is world wide and normal. Nigeria is not an exception. The Federal Ministry of Education, NGOs, CSOs, the Media and international partners, must be commended for their tremendous contributions to advance the process to this stage. We are looking forward to an informed generation of young people that is sensibly aware and responsive. The implementation in Lagos , Cross Rivers , Niger , Enugu , Plateau, Kano states, have advanced remarkably. In Plateau State, other agencies such as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Faith based organizations are intervening at different levels. Also in Plateau training of teachers has continued take place by various groups. Recently, the Plateau State Ministry of Education organized a FLHE training activity for Primary School Teachers. This is encouraging and obviously a demonstration that the state is anxious about young people. And so in the last three years, over 200 teachers have received training to scale up the teaching of FLHE in public and private junior secondary schools. YARAC started with 20 private secondary schools, then 40 pilot public schools and now the scale up is in 217 public secondary schools.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E):

“Leadership may be best defined as the ability and willingness to envision the future and to unite different elements of society to make it better.”

UNAIDS Report 2006

“Contrary to common fears or stereotypes, extensive research has detected little evidence that sex education leads to an increase sexual activity.”

UNAIDS Report 2006

M&E is not only important but it is critical because we are dealing with not only a ‘sensitive issue' but The implementation requires close monitoring by all stakeholders: the State Ministry, PTA, ANCOPSS, the teachers as well as the funding and implementing Partners in this case the MacArthur Foundation and YARAC. To be able to get tangible information, YARAC adopted the part-process evaluation and needs assessments monitoring and evaluation approach with the following purposes:

• To assess the knowledge of students on FLHE
• To ascertain their comfort level in discussing issues relating to sexuality education
• To measure attitudinal and behavioral change in students as a result of mainstreaming sexuality education in the school curriculum
• To appraise the comfort level of teachers and identify the challenges faced by the teachers in the teaching of sexuality education in schools.
• We are visibly interested in the changes taking place among young people: how many girls are staying in school; quality of young people that openly or consciously discuss or are aware of their reproductive health and rights; and so are taking informed decisions because they recognize the implications of any wrong decisions; reduction in cases of abortion; increase information about contraceptive use, HIV and AIDS, and the implications of sexually transmitted infections on young people. The recognition of gender, helpful cultural and religious norms that enhance quality family heath values are essential to the cumulative result.
• Above all, quality implementation of the project which of course is the function and commitment of all stakeholders.

The final destination with the process is to ensure quality results and indeed collective understanding in the implementation of the project in the states.

CHALLENGES

This bulletin is not necessarily a report. However, it is important to recognize that there are two levels of challenges: external and internal. The external is attributed to the factors not within the control of the implementing agency i.e. the political environment; religious arid ethnic conflict; donor agencies. The internal refer to the Ministry of Education as a body; stakeholders (Religious and Traditional institutions, public voice, policy issues). We have had moments of anxieties in Plateau since the commencement of the project. We are convinced that the process would have been much faster were it not for the persistent political uncertainties, and ethno-religious conflicts which led to a state of emergency. At the internal level, policy changes in the Education Sector i.e. the introduction of UBE has upstaged the administrative structure of schools including the teaching strength. Frequent transfers of trained teachers; high turn of teachers due to poor conditions of service; poor infrastructures, etc. The issue of budgetary allocation to the ministry to support the implementation process is one; and the tedious but slow process of getting stakeholders to support the implementation is another.

ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR

In spite the difficulties, there is remarkable progress The political will is there; the Ministry of Education and other relevant ministries totally support the implementation of FLHE in schools. Religious and traditional institutions have come recognize that this problem needs a wholistic drive. There is massive collaborative action among NGOs, Faith based groups and the relevant ministries to ensure prospective future for young people. There is a shared understanding and all stakeholders are advancing positively. The harmonization ol implementers programmes on Family life and HIV/AIDS Education facilitated by YARAC in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders is a major step forward. Students are settling down to understanding the realities of FLHE. In a recent survey, YARAC was able to establish that:

• A - 81.7% students evaluated are now aware of the great benefits for delaying sexual intercourse before marriage.
• B - 60.8% students are now aware of the risky behavior that could lead to STIs including HIV/AIDS transmission.
• C — 61.7% students now have a better understanding on the use of contraception.
• Students speak with confidence and are assertive.