Our Schools Programme 2010
OneVoice South Africa believes it is crucial to target young people, aged 13 to 19 years, during adolescence, as it provides an unique opportunity to support and address many of the health and lifestyle challenges they may face.
Implemented for Grade 8 learners in 74 high schools, across three provinces; 34 schools in KwaZulu-Natal, 12 schools in the Eastern Cape and 28 schools in the Western Cape – the Schools Programme offers nine comprehensive life skills and sexual reproductive health education workshops. These take into account the social and cultural realities young South Africans face on daily basis.
Developed by educational experts, with input from learners, teachers and OVSA staff, the programme is aligned to the 2007 – 2011 HIV and AIDS and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa, and the National Life Orientation (LO) syllabus. Young people should have a voice that is heard and empowered to address sexual reproductive health, gender and human rights issues – as well as tackle the devastating realities of HIV and AIDS in their daily lives.
The workshops have been developed to address issues around the South African epidemic drivers, and are also linked to the specific outcomes in the LO syllabus. The accompanying learners’ notebook includes tasks that specifically show that the learners have achieved the LO syllabus outcomes.
A Spotlight on the Grade 8 Curriculum
Part 1 introduces life skills, as a means to addressing a number of issues such as values, self knowledge and gender roles and human rights. Specific skills including verbal and non-verbal communication; active listening, expression and managing feelings; negotiation, managing conflict; understanding other people’s needs; setting goals and solving problems are needed to support young people in developing their potential as individuals so that we can pass through life successfully.
Part 2 introduces sexual reproductive health and HIV and AIDS issues. Good health is based on a number of things such as what we eat, what we do and especially how we choose to behave and what decisions we make. This section discusses puberty and healthy living, relationships and delaying sexual debut, as well as basic HIV and AIDS information.
Part 3 introduces projects and practical tasks. These workshops address project planning and design, project monitoring and implementation and project evaluation. They encourage young people to create their own projects and to discuss HIV and AIDS related issues, and other problems that affect their schools and their community. The idea behind these workshops is that young people identify a problem that affects them and find ways to resolve it.