Teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes towards safe sex education in Kinondoni primary schools, Tanzania

This study explored the Teacher’s and pupil’s attitudes towards about teaching safe sex education among primary school pupils in Kinondoni District. Specifically it focused on three objectives which were to; assess the attitudes of teachers and pupils towards teaching and learning safe sex education, examine the extent to which safe sex education has been effectively taught and lastly identify the challenges facing teachers and pupils in teaching and learning safe sex education in primary schools. The study involved 125 teachers and 161 pupils, who were selected both purposively and randomly. The study employed mixed approach with the use of cross-sectional survey design. The tools used in data collection were questionnaires and interviews.The findings indicate that 63.1% of pupils agree that the teaching of safe sex education depends on teachers’ willingness. On the other hand about 84% of teachers supported the teaching of safe sex education in primary schools. However, about 16% of teachers were in favor of teaching safe sex education. It was also found that 92% of schools included in the study had no HIV/AIDs and sexuality education programmes. Furthermore, the study identified a number of challenges facing teachers and pupils in teaching and learning safe sex education. The challenges mentioned included; Lack of teaching and learning materials, lack of sexuality education guidelines, lack of knowledge and skills to teachers on how to teach sexuality education to primary school pupils, cultural factors and attitudes, pressure from parents and lack of clubs and peer group sexuality education programmes in schools.The study finally concludes that teachers in schools need professional and material support so that they can comfortably teach safe sex education. Besides, safe sex education progammes should be initiated and promoted in schools through various ways such as clubs and peer group sex education. The study recommends provision of national sexuality education policy and availing teacher-support materials and equipment’s so as to make sexual education provision a reality in schools.