At a Crossroads: Sex and Death Taboos in Child Development and Implications for Sesotho Education

Taboos are prohibitions that are made to guard individuals and communities against danger and risk. Taboos are structured into two parts: the prohibited action and a consequence associated with non-observance. The prohibition serves as a command, while a consequence is presented with an element of a fib to avoid confronting the deep meaning that is considered taboo. The concept of taboo is universal, but its object is culture-specific. Basotho children learn rules, expectations, norms and taboos from their parents. Death and sex-related matters are taboo to children due to their developing intellect and social status. However, given the increasing instances of rape and deaths affecting children today, children should be protected against danger and risk. This paper is descriptive and follows the constructivist theory’s prospects, to explore the challenges Sesotho teachers encounter in teaching topics related to sex and death, as well as how they can overcome these challenges. The findings indicate that children have access to sex and death-related matters through the media, many children are profoundly affected by death and sex-related matters and teachers lack knowledge of pedagogical practices to educate and support learners in these areas. Techniques such as using learners’ prior knowledge, using folktales and understanding learners’ cultural backgrounds can assist teachers in obliterating the challenges observed in this study. The research contributes to the existing literature about the teaching and promotion of the indigenous African languages. Keywords – Child Development, Constructivist Theory, Death and Sex Taboos, Pedagogical Practices