Comparison of progress in CSE in Moldova measured by SERAT - from 2017 to 2022

Abstract

Abstract In recent years in the Republic of Moldova, many actions have been carried out to develop health education programmes that integrate sexuality education, in both the compulsory and optional school curricula. Sexuality education is not a stand alone subject and was integrated mainly in two mandatory courses Biology and Personal Development. To assess the quality of school-based sexuality education in the country, UNFPA in the Republic of Moldova in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research (MER), under a regional initiative supported by the UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office and the BZgA, conducted in 2021-2022 a national assessment of the compulsory curriculum by applying SERAT. To observe the progress over the last years, a comparative analysis was performed with the results from SERAT analysis conducted in Moldova in 2017. Overall, the results of the current assessment demonstrate a significant progress in the development of sexuality education programs since 2017, achieving a much higher score of compliance with the international standards for CSE in 2021/2022 - 54 per cent average score for all components compared to 34 per cent in 2017. The government is committed to increase the level of sexuality education integration in schools, as the legal framework provides strong support for the right to sexuality education for adolescents and youth.