The Significance Of Secondary School Life Skills Education In Addressing The Students' Sexual And Reproductive Health Information Needs And Knowledge Gaps In Ruiru Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

This project presents the findings of a study on significance of the nature of secondary school life skills education in addressing the students' sexual and reproductive health information needs and knowledge gaps in Ruiru sub-county, Kenya. Kenya’s Vision of introducing life skills education in 2008 as a compulsory component of the basic education was to meet the adolescents’ sexual and reproductive knowledge gap. However, several factors militate against this Ministry of Education plan. The central problem of the study was to investigate the nature of secondary school life skills education in addressing the sexual and reproductive information and knowledge gaps of youths in Ruiru Sub-County. To achieve this purpose, the study was guided by three-fold objectives, namely: to examine life skills curriculum policy on sexual and reproductive health in Kenya secondary schools in terms of content and pedagogy; to establish how students experience sexual and reproductive health programming in life skills education; and to examine the teachers' perception towards life skills and sexual and reproductive health education. Quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in form of tables and frequencies. Qualitative data were collected using secondary sources, semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews. Data were analyzed thematically in line with study objectives and juicy quotes used along the presented of findings to project participant’s voices. Findings show that LSE curriculum is well designed to promote psycho-social competences which, would enable students develop adaptive and positive behavior so as to deal effectively with challenges and demands of everyday life. Findings show that the main focus of the curriculum are: skills for day-to-day living, such as self-appreciation, improving interpersonal relationships, acquiring decision-making skills, respecting other people’s rights and coping with stress and emotions. Pedagogical approach of LSE curriculum was found not to be standard participatory approach as prescribed by the MoEST and as such invited inefficiencies in content delivery. Many young boys and girls who have gone through LSE indicated that is greatly impacted on their lives in terms of decision making over their sexual lives. The study concludes that the conventional methods of teaching sex education cannot exclusively meet the needs of the students. There is need for continuous rethinking on more innovative, proactive and participatory methods that needs the current needs of students within a multi-sectoral approach to the teaching sex education which accounts for the views of students as well. The study recommends that the government should set aside funding that is specifically meant to support life skill education programs by investing in elimination online child sexual exploitation and abuse that gives students alternative conflicting information hence creating vulnerability. The study suggests that an elaborate study on the experiences of teachers towards the teaching of sex education in secondary schools should be carried out. Such a study would shed light on their views of how to tackle youth sexuality issues since they are very instrumental in the actual implementation of the curriculum at the classroom level