LEARN. PROTECT. RESPECT. EMPOWER. The Status of Comprehensive Sexuality Education In Asia-Pacific: A Summary Review 2020
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It goes beyond simply providing education about reproduction, risks and diseases by also addressing positive sexuality and relationships, and the broader sociocultural and gender influences on sexual and reproductive health, with an emphasis on developing life skills.
As noted in the revised UN International technical guidance on sexuality education, the education sector plays a critical role in the provision of CSE. Schools are places of learning and personal development and provide a practical means of reaching large numbers of young people from diverse backgrounds in ways that are replicable and sustainable. Schools provide an existing infrastructure for scientifically accurate, age- and developmentally-appropriate learning experiences, including teachers who are likely to be skilled and trusted sources of information, as well as long-term programming opportunities provided by formal curricula.
While a strong evidence base is needed to better understand the situation of school-based CSE implementation and for further CSE advocacy, a fully comprehensive overview of the status of sexuality education in Asia and the Pacific was absent. With an aim to fill this gap, in 2019, UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office; UNESCO Office in Bangkok, Regional Bureau for Education for Asia and the Pacific; and IPPF East, South-East Asia and Oceania Region collaborated to carry out a regional review on the status of CSE in the Asia and Pacific region. This summary review, now published, contributes to the evidence on the reach of CSE across the region, with recommendations for accelerating its scale and impact.
The review comes with a package of five factsheets and six videos. The factsheets shed light on different aspects of school-based CSE: Enabling Framework, Curriculum, Teacher’s Preparedness, Monitoring and Assessment, and Needs of Young People. The videos illustrate how CSE provides opportunity for every child to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to safely navigate significant milestones in their life, including but also well beyond decisions related to sexual and reproductive health. These communication assets can be used as a whole set or individually.
- Factsheet 1: Enabling framework for sexuality education [English] [Chinese] [Thai] [Lao] [Vietnamese]
- Factsheet 2: Curriculum [English] [Chinese] [Thai] [Lao] [Vietnamese]
- Factsheet 3: Teachers’ preparedness [English] [Chinese] [Thai] [Lao] [Vietnamese]
- Factsheet 4: Monitoring and assessment [English] [Chinese] [Thai] [Lao] [Vietnamese]
- Factsheet 5: Meeting needs of young people [English] [Chinese] [Thai] [Lao] [Vietnamese]
- Video 1: Full version
- Video 2: What is CSE and how can it impact young people’s lives?
- Video 3: How does CSE equip young people to address sexual harassment?
- Video 4: CSE provides a positive approach to menstrual health
- Video 5: CSE encourages respectful relationships in the digital age
- Video 6: CSE encourages mutual respect in relationships
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View / Download A summary review
[English] [Lao] [Chinese] [Thai] [Myanmar] [Vietnamese]
