Unesco O3 Annual Report 2021

The status of CSE Key achievements per objective

• CSE terminology: In Zimbabwe, CSE is termed Guidance Objective 1: Secure and sustain strong political
and Counselling, Life Skills Education (G&C-LSE) Life Skills commitment and support for adolescents and
Education. young people’s access to CSE and SRH services
across SSA
• Policy environment: The country has a number of
legal and policy frameworks promoting the delivery of • Zimbabwe is among the countries that endorsed the
CSE, including the Curriculum Framework (2015-2022), extension of the ESA Commitment to 2030. In the
Life Skills, Health Empowerment and Support Strategy build-up to the endorsement, national consultations
(2016-2022), Zimbabwe HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan with various constituencies, including parliamentarians,
(2021-2025), National Health Strategy (2021-2025), and religious leaders, CSOs, young people, and the media,
the National ASRH Strategy II (2016-2020), extended to This process strengthened the text of the Commitment as
2025 through an Implementation plan. In addition, the emerging issues such as mental health, climate change,
Education Amendment Act (15 of 2019) has provisions and COVID-19 were identified as having an impact
for deployment of SRH officers and the enforcement of to the full realization of Commitment objectives. The
the school re-entry for pregnant girls. The ministry has consultations also presented an opportunity to reflect
also put in place various operational guidelines (through on the ESA Commitment evaluation report. As a result,
policy circulars) to ensure that G&C-LSE is implemented there were calls to strengthen country ownership and
effectively in schools. accountability, and scale up of interventions beyond
health and education to include the gender and youth
• Positioning of CSE in curriculum: CSE content is sectors. In 2022, UNESCO will sensitize and build the
delivered through G&C-LSE as a standalone compulsory capacity of various parliamentary portfolio committees
learning area from junior primary level (Grades 3-7) to on the extended ESA Commitment and the role
secondary education level (Form 1-4). Some components parliamentarians and different ministries will play to attain
of G&C-LSE became examinable in Grade 7 public the targets. UNESCO also continued to use the platform
examinations for the first time in November 2021 under of ASRH Coordination Forum meetings to provide key
Social Sciences. updates regarding the Commitment renewal process and
evaluation.
• Delivery models: Along with G&C-LSE, CSE content
overlaps with other learning areas as well, such as Family, • In addition, religious leaders were mobilized as part of the
Religion and Moral Education, Heritage Studies, Social regional ESA Commitment consultations as well, given
Studies, and the Sciences. For infant level learners (ECD the strategic influence and role they play in communities.
A to Grade 2), CSE is integrated or infused in a number A total of 31 religious leaders representing the country’s
of learning areas including Visual and Performing seven religious bodies, under the coordination of the
Arts, Physical Education, Mass Displays, Language, Zimbabwe Interfaith Network, were consulted. They were
Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and ICT. also trained on the religious leaders toolkit and handbook
on ASRHR, and will be instrumental in supporting the
• Quality of CSE delivered: There is uneven delivery of cascading of the training to others in the religious sector.
CSE in schools for a range of reasons, including missing
policy guidance, discretionary timetabling and teaching Objective 2: Support the delivery of
of the subject, curriculum overload, selective teaching of accurate, rights-based, and good quality CSE
some topics of CSE, and extended school closures due to programmes that provide knowledge, values,
the COVID-19 pandemic. and skills essential for safer behaviours,
reduced adolescent pregnancy, and gender
• Key materials developed: Form 1-4 learner modules equality
on G&C-LSE; content for interactive radio lessons;
upgraded version of WhatsApp chatbot Dzidzo Paden| • Under this objective, UNESCO provided technical
Imfundwe’ndlini with additional content; CSE Curriculum and financial support to the Ministry of Primary and
Framework for Students in Tertiary Education Institutions, Secondary Education (MoPSE) for the development
accompanied by a Teaching Manual; Training Manual of Form 1-4 learner modules on G&C-LSE, infusing
for Non-Teaching Staff on SGBV and SRHR; and standard contemporary CSE issues such as GBV, EUP, and alcohol
operating procedures for establishing and operating a and substance use, among others, in alignment with the
72-hour GBV Desk at school. ITGSE.

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The MoPSE is now reviewing and validating the materials Objective 3: Ensure that schools and
prior to printing and dissemination during the second community environments are safer, healthier,
quarter of 2022. In addition, in order to promote inclusive and inclusive for all young people
education for all, UNESCO supported the MoPSE to
transcribe the G&C-LSE learner modules for Grades 5-7 • Under this objective, UNESCO provided technical
into braille. support in the development of standard guidelines
for the coordinated prevention and management of
• UNESCO also upgraded the increasingly popular the COVID-19 pandemic at all learning institutions
WhatsApp chatbot Dzidzo Paden|Imfundwe’ndlini by of Zimbabwe. Various relevant ministries worked
developing additional e-content covering learning areas together to develop the guidelines, which replaced the
across all grades and forms, including 4,000 learning standard operating procedures for the prevention and
objects covering 29 learning areas from junior primary to management of COVID-19 and other influenza-like Illness
secondary school level. Selected teachers and curriculum in the primary and secondary education sector, which
specialists at the Curriculum Development and Technical were developed in 2020. The document is supplementary
Services Department were supported with data bundles to the Government of Zimbabwe COVID-19 response
to work virtually through WhatsApp Groups to draft guidelines and seeks to strengthen support for learning
e-content for the platform. For quality assurance and institutions and health authorities in the safe operation
approval of the materials, UNESCO supported a ministry- of learning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
led two-day face-to-face workshop to review and validate The guidelines apply to all learning institutions from early
the materials. To date, the platform has been used by childhood development to university level.
67,642 learners.
• UNESCO also supported the development of a standard
• UNESCO further supported the development of content training manual on SGBV and SRHR for non-teaching staff
for 52 interactive radio lessons, which were broadcast on (NTS) in recognition that school-based NTS members
four national radio stations with an estimated cumulative make an important contribution to student progress and
reach of 5.2 million people. The radio lessons catalysed achievement by supporting principals, students, and
the setup of a toll-free number by the MoPSE to facilitate teachers, and maintaining positive relationships with
communication and reporting of learner welfare issues parents/caregivers and the wider community.
and concerns. In addition, the ministry deliberately
and strategically engaged other service providers for • In addition, under the coordination of the National
comprehensive support services, particularly at the AIDS Council and in partnership with UNAIDS and UN
school and community level. WOMEN, UNESCO trained 150 representatives from the
interfaith community on HIV, SRH, and CSE. The training
• During the reporting year, UNESCO also facilitated was conducted in two phases: the first part of the
the production of the CSE Curriculum Framework for training focused on capacity-building interfaith network
Students in Tertiary Education Institutions, accompanied members on male engagement in SRHR services, while
by a teaching manual, as well as a five-day training on the second phase concentrated on enhancing capacity
CSE for 45 lecturers drawn from HTEIs. UNESCO also of religious leaders for better engagement and delivery
supported the online training of four health and LSE of scientifically accurate, age-appropriate, culturally and
lecturers on open distance and online learning, including theologically relevant, and context appropriate SRH
tools for teaching remotely. By participating in the education in Zimbabwe.
training virtually themselves, the lecturers were able to
see that effective learning experiences can be delivered • UNESCO has also put in place plans to provide financial
online. UNESCO plans to document this initiative as a and technical support to support the MoPSE review
best practice in as far as institutionalizing CSE in teacher various learner welfare circulars to align them with the
education colleges is concerned, for possible replication Education Amendment Act (15-2019). The Amendment
in the rest of the colleges. contains key progressive provisions in addressing SRH for
AYP, including retention of pregnant girls in school and
• Finally, UNESCO provided scholarships and data provision of sanitary ware to underprivileged rural girls.
bundles for the training of in-service teachers, teacher
educators, and special education teachers on CSE. A
one-day introductory meeting was organised to provide
participants with some orientation on basics to online
learning, and 120 participants were able to complete the
course and were certified.

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• Furthermore, UNESCO financial and technical While the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed the use of virtual
support enabled the National AIDS Council to learning worldwide, some BUSE students reported that,
begin implementing the Campus Radio Initiative, in although blended learning increased access to learning
collaboration with Great Zimbabwe University (GZU). opportunities and made learning more flexible and
The initiative seeks to strengthen the capacities of Great convenient for them, not all students have smartphones
Zimbabwe GZU presenters and theatre arts students with and laptops and thus have limited access to the
skills to develop and disseminate CSE content. To date, online platform. In addition, poor internet connectivity
orientation of six GZU campus producers and presenters substantively affected students’ participation in online
has been done, as well as training of 17 theatre arts tests, making them ineffective.
students.
• In terms of COVID-19, Zimbabwe is participating in
Objective 4: Strengthen the evidence base on an eight-country regional study on the impact of the
CSE and safer school environments pandemic on ASRHR in ESA countries, as well as in a
rapid assessment on community and household child
• Under this objective, the review of the Bindura University protection mechanisms in the context of school closures
of Science Education (BUSE) health education course was due to COVID-19.
concluded, in collaboration with the UNESCO Regional
Office for Southern Africa. The course is mandatory for • Lastly, UNESCO supported joint monitoring visits to
all first-year students and is delivered through a blended selected schools to assess CSE implementation. The visits
learning approach, combining mass lectures with an established that schools have done fairly well under the
online component. The general aim of the course is to circumstances to provide G&C-LSE services to learners,
help students gain understanding and have appreciation but the MoPSE still needs to review all its learner welfare
of healthy lifestyles in the face of communicable and circulars and align them to the Education Amendment
non-communicable diseases. Act so that schools are equipped to address the
contemporary issues that learners are facing.

Key results on indicators

Indicator Results (disaggregated as relevant e.g. sex, school level etc) Comment(s) on results

Prog. 2018 2019 2020 2021 Cumulative
Target total
(2018-22) 2018-2021

Objective 1: Secure and sustain strong political commitment and support for adolescents and young people’s access to CSE and SRH services across SSA

2. Number of young people in 471,674 1,007,500 1,813,400 3,282,116 3,282,116 Reached through national and
and out of school reached with community radios, Dzidzo Paden, and
CSE through multiple media info cards.
platforms

Objective 2: Support the delivery of accurate, rights-based, and good quality CSE programmes that provide knowledge, values, and skills essential for safer
behaviours, reduced adolescent pregnancy, and gender equality

1. Number and percentage of 1,764 9,154 9,625 9,625 9,625 2021 Education Report not yet out.
primary and secondary schools (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) All schools have ministry-set circulars
that provided life skills-based dealing with implementation of G&C-
HIV and SE LSE, prevention and management of
child abuse, and discipline.

2. Number and percentage of 1,478,503 1,992,646 1,990,998 1,089,118 1,449,735 1,992,646
learners reached by life skills-
based HIV and SE

3. Number of pre-service teachers 2,821 37 0 99 136
trained in CSE
F: 19 F: 61 F: 80
M: 18 M: 38 M:56

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4. Number of in-service teachers 23,547 201 0 66 (online) 267
trained in CSE (disaggregated
by in-person and online F: 109 F: 37 Online: 66
training) M: 92 M: 29 In-person:
Primary 201
Primary level: 36
level: 116 F: 146
Secondary M: 121
Secondary level: 30
level: 85 Primary
level: 152

Secondary
level: 115

Objective 3: Ensure that schools and community environments are safer, healthier, and inclusive for all young people

1. Percentage of primary and 9,154 9,625 9,625 9,625 2021 Education Report not yet out.
secondary schools that have (100%) (100%) (100%) (100%) All schools have ministry-set circulars
rules and guidelines for dealing with implementation of G&C-
staff and students related to LSE, prevention and management of
physical safety, stigma and child abuse, and discipline.
discrimination, and sexual
harassment and abuse Through the ‘Let’s Talk!’ campaign
and national and community radio
2. Number of community 277,376 1,000,000 0 150 stations.
members reached with efforts
to keep girls in school EMIS currently tracking indicators
on chronic illnesses, school dropout,
Objective 4: Strengthen the evidence base on CSE and safer school environments readmission of pregnant learners,
MHM, and capacity-building of
1. Number of HIV-sensitive 51 00 6 teachers on CSE and LBSE.
indicators integrated into EMIS
systems Rapid assessment on community
and household child protection
2. Number of research pieces 11 31 6 mechanisms in the context of school
commissioned closures due to COVID-19; Baseline
study and health facility assessment
(O3 PLUS project)

Lessons learned and emerging • While many stakeholders have embraced CSE and SRH
issues likely to impact on delivery delivery through digital platforms, most notably through
of CSE radio and online platforms, there are inherent challenges
related to the quality of content delivery and measuring
• Learner modules have the potential to increase student impact, and to some extent reach, of these platforms.
learning. Studies suggest that the two most consistent For example, it is a challenge to estimate how many
characteristics in improving student performance are the learners are being reached with the messages from the
availability of learning and teaching materials, and well- G&C-LSE interactive lessons. Current studies from the
trained, prepared, supervised, and motivated teachers. Zimbabwe All Media and Products (ZAMPS) survey only
Since providing textbooks is cheaper than training provide estimated reach per radio station for the general
and motivating teachers, textbooks are the most cost population.
effective of all education inputs on student achievement.
This is important because CSE is new in the education Success story: SRGBV training for
curriculum, replacing the disease-specific focus on HIV NTS
in earlier health education responses. To ensure quality
education, learning materials should be available and Mrs Tsuro, a bursar (accountant) at the local Centenary High
accessible to learners to interact with in advance and School, was one of the 50 NTS in the district who received
during a lesson. training on SRGBV identification, response, and reporting
through the facilitation of the Forum for African Women
Educationalists Zimbabwe Chapter (FAWEZI). She related that
prior to the training, she had limited knowledge about GBV
in general and how it affects learners.

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She also observed that NTS are generally not prioritized © UNESCO
for any trainings that are provided either by the MoPSE or
by external partners. As such, they are never expected to © UNESCO
offer any support for the achievement of safe and inclusive
school environments beyond their professional duties.
The training was therefore an eye-opener to the potential
contribution of NTS can make in addressing SRGBV. Mrs Tsuro
narrated that on a daily basis, she interacts with students
because of her portfolio which covers the receipting of
fees. In some cases, many unsavoury words are said to the
students, especially those with fees in arrears. Through the
training, she learnt that such exchanges amount to verbal
abuse of students, which may negatively affect their self-
confidence and performance in class. She went on to add
that through the training, she has learnt how to relate well
with students and to communicate better. Those students
whose parents/guardians are failing to pay fees tend to be
the most vulnerable ones and those face multiple forms
of abuse. Mrs Tsuro also added that she used to support
the exclusion from class of students owing fees as a way to
coerce the parents to pay outstanding fees. She has since
realized that the behaviour is abusive of the students and
that it is in fact against ministry policy. According to the
Education Amendment Act (15 of 2019), no pupil shall be
excluded from school for non-payment of school fees or on
the basis of pregnancy. In parting, Mrs Tsuro bemoaned the
short duration of the training (one day), noting that it was
clear the facilitators had more to share and that some topics
could have been covered in much more detail. Mrs Tsuro,
like the other trained NTS, are now working closely with the
school head and G&C teachers in identifying and reporting
learners who may have personal problems, including victims
of abuse.

Conclusions and recommendations

• There is need to review and enhance the MoPSE-led
G&C-LSE interactive radio sessions to increase the airplay
per session, explore innovative ways of reaching out to
the most marginalized, including learners with disabilities,
prepare standardized scripts for presenters, and take on
board voices of parents/caregivers as key stakeholders.
In addition, the O3 programme should explore ways of
measuring/tracking results, especially as it embraces
digital CSE delivery.

• More work is needed with parliamentarians and religious
and traditional leaders for buy-in and support for the ESA
Commitment.

• The BUSE health education course review findings should
be shared with principals of HTEIs, the Ministry of Higher
Education, Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education,
and other key stakeholders for possible adaptation and
scaling-up of the initiative.

153 © UNESCO

Republic of Congo Networking countries receive
seed funding and benefit from
Programme tier: common regional activities,
Networking Country depending on the individual
country readiness to participate.
A summary of the key successes
across these countries are
highlighted below:

In coordination with the ministries of health, youth and primary education, a national
consultation was held in March 2021, bringing together 35 participants from these ministries, as
well as religious leaders and members of NGOs and youth networks.

The aim of this consultation was to review and validate the findings of the country factsheet, as well as outline
the main issues affecting AYP health, development, and resilience in the country. In addition, key messages were
formulated for incorporation into WCA Commitment, along with recommendations for key actions to improve
AYP health and educational outcomes in the country, including: improving the institutional environment for the
promotion of CSE; strengthening the technical capacities of the structures implementing CSE; improving retention
of adolescents in formal education through increased support for pregnancy prevention and management; and
developing an integrated national CSE strategy and sectoral operational plans.

154

Gabon

Programme tier:
Networking Country

Chaired by the minister in charge of national education, a national stakeholder consultation
around the WCA Commitment was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in April
2021, bringing together 82 state and community stakeholders to discuss SRH programmes and
collect substantive recommendations to strengthen CSE and SRH services for AYP in Gabon.

Among the recommendations was the need to strengthen the legal framework and enforcement of texts related
to the implementation of the SRH education programme and the protection of children and AYP. The need to
institutionalise the CSE programme through its generalisation in the academic and community environment and
integration in the initial and ongoing training of supervisory, administrative, teaching, and specialised staff in schools
was also highlighted. Recommendations were incorporated into the WCA Commitment text.

155

Madagascar

Programme tier:
Networking Country

In 2021, in collaboration with the MoE and Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training
(MTVET), 14 CSE trainers were trained as master trainers and able to benefit from the sharing of
health and education best practices.

Training tools were also developed, such as the annual training plan and training modules and accompanying
documents. However, the political instability in the country, together with the challenges posed by the COVID-19
pandemic, meant that all planned activities for 2021, including activities to cascade teacher training, had to be
postponed to 2022. Despite these significant challenges, the pooling of resources with the technical and financial
partners in order to carry out activities is currently a priority for the MoE and MTVET through the implementation of
the national CSE Framework, even though it has not been officially validated to date.
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Togo

Programme tier:
Networking Country

Stakeholders in Togo convened in July 2021 for a national consultation to discuss the situation
of AYP under the framework of the WCA Commitment, bringing together 78 participants from
different institutions ministries, as well the permanent secretariat of the National AIDS Council
and representatives of teachers' unions, parents' associations, religious denominations, traditional
authorities, CSOs, and UN agencies.

Among the recommendations and key messages emerging from the consultation was the need to rename CSE to
Values and Sexual Health Education (EVSS) in Togo. Recommendations were incorporated into the WCA Commitment
text.
In addition to this process, Togo also participated in a regional capacity-building workshop on CSE for learners with
disabilities in May 2021. Furthermore, UNESCO supported the revision of two training modules for teachers and
student teachers on responding to SGBV. The content on understanding different forms of violence and increasing
learning outcomes at different stages of the school cycle was strengthened and accompanying lesson plans
produced to model active pedagogical techniques in the teaching-learning process, with a focus on implementing
age-appropriate positive discipline techniques. The modules were used to train 580 teachers from 203 schools.

157

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