Rwanda Education Board Reviews Sexuality Education Curriculum

Curriculum developers are reviewing comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in schools to make it more age-appropriate, inclusive and effective as teenage pregnancies remain a growing concern. The Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) says the review will strengthen the delivery of CSE and ensure that learners, including those with disabilities, receive accurate and relevant information about their bodies, relationships, sexual and reproductive health, rights and personal safety. Curriculum developers from key government institutions, partner organisations and civil society groups are being urged to strengthen their technical skills in inclusive and gender-transformative CSE design, review existing toolkits and teacher guides, identify gaps affecting learners with disabilities and develop recommendations for improved implementation. ALSO READ: The daunting effects of teenage pregnancy Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines The exercise is taking place amid concerns over the continued rise in teenage pregnancies. Janvier Ntibizerwa, a curriculum specialist at REB responsible for training school leaders and teachers to deliver CSE, said an assessment showed that teenage pregnancy remains a major challenge. "Teenage pregnancy increased from 5% to 8% in 2025. The 3% increase was caused by a spike during Covid-19 when children were in communities. The second factor is misinformation spread on social media about sexuality. Therefore, children become curious about what can deteriorate them," he said. According to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS7), the highest pregnancy rate was recorded among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19. Ntibizerwa said the government is considering digital platforms as another way of reaching adolescents with accurate information. "We have thought of digitising sexuality education so that adolescents can access accurate information about sexuality education on social media platforms such as TikTok and others," he said. He also called for closer coordination between government institutions, non-governmental organisations, parents and other stakeholders to address teenage pregnancy. A capacity-building programme has been designed for 40 curriculum developers focusing on inclusive CSE, as well as school violence prevention curricula and programmes that cater for all learners, including those with disabilities. ALSO READ: Over 78,000 babies born to teen mothers in four years The ongoing review and mapping exercise is examining existing CSE toolkits, teacher guides and related resources. It is assessing which materials are intended for primary, lower-secondary and upper-secondary education, their approval status, ownership and availability. The review is also identifying gaps in curriculum design, teacher preparation and school-level implementation. It will examine how CSE can contribute to preventing sexual violence, bullying, harassment, harmful gender norms, abuse and other forms of school violence. Curriculum developers are also assessing the need for age-appropriate content, clear learning outcomes, teacher guidance, assessment approaches and stronger coordination among education, health and child protection institutions. "We have to work together to prepare curricula and shed light on what is done at school and what is done at home. There is a role for schools and parents," Ntibizerwa said. CSE is integrated as one of the eight cross-cutting issues in the competence-based curriculum. It covers sexual and reproductive health, human growth, relationships, gender, and prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. In primary schools, it is integrated into Science and Elementary Technology and Social Studies. Ntibizerwa said teacher capacity-building is planned for September, partly because of staff turnover. "Some teachers have left, while there are new teachers who need to understand Comprehensive Sexuality Education, which is integrated into the competence-based curricu