Looking Back on the School Year: Our First Year Working With Over 500 CSE Teachers

Over the past few years, we've delivered comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in around 150 public middle schools across 3 regions of Madagascar, reaching about 50,000 adolescent students.

This past school year, though, we took a massive leap: 558 public middle schools, across 15 regions, reaching 136,764 adolescent students.

We couldn't be prouder.

But there are a few other folks feeling proud right now, and who we're celebrating too: the teachers who became Mpanabe JL, or CSE teachers, for the first time this year.

They shared what this school year was like for them, and a few themes came up again and again:

Teachers saw a shift in themselves

This was one of the things teachers talked about most. Our vision is for every adolescent to thrive, but that starts with the adults supporting them. For many teachers, taking on the CSE subject changed how they communicate, how they carry themselves, and how they relate to others.

A teacher in Menabe put it this way: "I learned to communicate and connect with people better, and CSE has really changed my behavior for the better."

In Androy, another Mpanabe JL said: "I learned so much this year. I've become a model citizen in how I carry myself."

Nonviolent education: leaving corporal punishment behind

Across regions, CSE teachers repeatedly described one clear change: they no longer want to use corporal punishment.

A teacher in Sofia said simply: "I don't like to punish students anymore."

For a teacher in Androy, the change was closely tied to how they approach students: "During the PJL training, I really learned how to welcome and approach students properly. I haven't used violent punishment this whole year."

Another teacher in Menabe said she had "learned to discipline students in a simple way, without punishment."

Speaking up, assertively

Assertive communication came up often too. Teachers described using it not only with students, but with parents, colleagues, and people in their communities. It's a skill we emphasize throughout their pre-service training — an essential professional and leadership skill for teachers, and also an interpersonal skill their students need to develop.

A teacher in Amoron'i Mania said: "I actually enjoy talking with people now, and I use assertive communication when I do."

In Atsimo-Atsinanana, another teacher shared: "I speak assertively now when I talk with students."

And a teacher in Sofia described a broader change: "I can stay calm when I'm talking with students, parents, or the community — I don't lose my temper easily anymore. I know how to respect people and keep things confidential."

Becoming trusted adults at school and in the community

For many teachers, these changes have also affected their relationships with students and parents. They described becoming people that others trust, listen to, and turn to for guidance.

A teacher in Menabe told us: "I'm really proud of how close my students have become with me. I can feel that they trust me now."

A teacher in Androy said: "I've gained confidence, and I've grown as a leader."

In Sofia, one teacher described how that trust has changed their experience at school: "I've become someone people trust — a mentor, a guide. It makes me want to go to school, because I can see how much the students look forward to seeing me."

Teaching teens about puberty

Teachers also told us they feel more comfortable talking with students about topics that can be difficult to discuss, including menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, puberty, and violence.

For many, the PJL training was the first time they had spoken openly about these subjects — and, in some cases, the first time they had learned about them themselves.

A teacher in Androy shared: "I learned how to teach children about menstrual hygiene and about male and female reproductive organs."

A teacher in Matsiatra Ambony said: "I learned more about teaching students about the reproductive anatomy of boys and girls, and now I know how to guide them well through puberty."

And in Analanjirofo, a teacher told us: "CSE gave me the knowledge and the mindset to help guide teenagers toward good behavior during puberty."

This has been an extraordinary year, for the CSE teachers and for us. So what's next?

This teacher in Sofia said it best:

"I want to keep building on what I've learned this year. I want to get even better at communicating day-to-day with students, parents, and the community. I want to keep improving how I teach the CSE subject. And I want to become a true role model at the school where I work."