Belgium is facing mounting challenges in effectively implementing sexual education in schools, amidst troubling statistics showing a significant number of teenagers engaging in unprotected sex.
Recent findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) report have revealed that a third of adolescents did not use condoms during their last sexual encounter.
This statistic highlights an urgent need for improved sexual education and access to contraception, yet the path to achieving this remains fraught with controversy and resistance.
Rising Concerns Over Teenage Sexual Health
According to the latest HBSC data, around 25% of 15-year-olds in Belgium engaged in sexual intercourse without using condoms.
The report also notes a general rise in sexual activity among teenagers without the use of contraceptives, a trend that has alarmed public health officials.
Despite Belgium’s high ranking—4th in Europe—for contraception access and information policies, the effectiveness of these measures is being undermined by significant challenges in sexual education.
A Divided Approach to Sexual Education
In Belgium, sexual education policies are managed by different communities, with the Francophone and Dutch-speaking systems each handling the matter independently. This has led to a fragmented approach to sexual health education across the country.
Last year, significant unrest arose in response to a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening sexual education within the French-speaking system.
The policy changes, part of the EVRAS (Education à la Vie Relationnelle, Affective et Sexuelle) program, were met with protests, arson, and vandalism.
Opponents, including some conservative and religious groups, criticized the program for allegedly promoting “hypersexualization” and pushed back against what they saw as the imposition of “gender theory.”
Alice Gaspar, a project manager at Sofélia, the Wallonia-Brussels family planning centres federation, noted that legal actions against the EVRAS guide and cooperation agreement are ongoing.
“Several legal actions are currently underway in Belgian courts against the EVRAS guide or even the cooperation agreement itself,” she said.
The resistance is often fueled by conservative groups wary of the “LGBTQIA+ lobby” and the influence of “gender theory” on young students.
Challenges in the Flemish Community
The Flemish-speaking schools face similar obstacles. Wannes Magits, Policy Officer for Sexual Development at Sensoa, a Flemish sexual health organization, highlighted that conservative parents sometimes choose to exclude their children from sexual education classes due to misconceptions or disagreements with the content.
Additionally, the growing ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity within Flemish classrooms presents further challenges for teachers navigating sensitive topics.
In the Flemish education system, although curriculum goals are set by the government, they remain relatively vague, leaving schools with considerable autonomy in determining what topics to cover and at what age.
“Schools are left with a lot of choice about which topics they want to teach and at what age. A few things are mandated, but they have a lot of freedom,” Magits explained. This freedom can lead to inconsistencies in the quality and coverage of sexual education across different schools.
Monitoring and Quality Concerns
One of the key issues identified by both Magits and Gaspar is the lack of monitoring and evaluation of sexual education classes.
Magits pointed out that the absence of a standardized assessment framework makes it difficult to measure the effectiveness and quality of sexual education.
“It’s unclear how [a school inspector] will measure if sexual education is being given, what’s the quality of the lessons, and which topics are being addressed,” he said.
For the EVRAS program, despite guidelines being in place, there is often a lack of coordination among stakeholders regarding the success and challenges of the classes.
“There is still a lack of coordination between the different administrations and funding authorities to have a clear overview of all EVRAS sessions,” Gaspar noted.
While Sofélia is hopeful that better coordination will be established soon, the current situation remains problematic.
The Need for Comprehensive Teacher Training
The issue of inadequate training for teachers is another critical concern. Both Gaspar and Magits agree that pre-service teachers often lack the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively deliver sexual education.
“It’s not being brought up in teacher education, so pre-service teachers do not get a lot of knowledge and skills regarding sexual education,” Magits explained.
Expanding access to training for educators and educational teams is seen as a crucial step in improving the delivery of sexual health education.
Funding Challenges
At the heart of many of these issues lies the challenge of funding. Gaspar emphasizes that increasing financial resources is vital for the effectiveness of sexual education programs.
“It is important that the current legislature at least maintains the unlocked amounts but [also] aims to increase them,” she said.
Without adequate funding, it will be difficult to address the various challenges and ensure that sexual education programs are both comprehensive and effective.
Looking Ahead
As Belgium continues to grapple with these challenges, the need for a more unified and robust approach to sexual education remains clear. The rising rates of unprotected sex among teenagers underscore the urgency of addressing these issues.
While there have been significant strides in some areas, the fragmented approach, resistance from conservative groups, and lack of comprehensive monitoring and funding present ongoing obstacles.
To improve sexual health outcomes for Belgian teenagers, a concerted effort is needed to overcome these challenges.
This includes better coordination among educational authorities, increased funding for sexual education programs, enhanced training for educators, and a more unified approach to addressing resistance and misconceptions.
Only through such measures can Belgium hope to make meaningful progress in the fight against teenage sexual health issues and ensure that all students receive the comprehensive education they need to make informed and safe choices.
