Attitudes and training needs of government schoolteachers on intervening in sexual and reproductive health issues of students in Colombo Education Zone of Sri Lanka- a lower middle-income country

Background Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education promotes a positive outlook on sexuality. Teachers play a key role in delivering age-appropriate SRH through their expertise, reliability and the use of structured curricula. Yet many teachers feel involving in SRH teaching activities as challenges due to factors such as social stigma and fear of controversy. The purpose of this study was to describe attitudes and training-needs of government school-teachers in Colombo Education Zone on addressing the SRH issues of students. Methods A cross-sectional study among 600 teachers in Colombo Education Zone was done using cluster-sampling with “schools” being clusters. Cluster size was 10 and 64 clusters were selected from 123 schools. Self-administered questionnaire was used. Socio-demographic characteristics, teaching-related factors and were described using descriptive statistics. Attitudes were described using Likert scales with frequencies and percentages. Training needs were identified using Henessey-Hicks tool and recommended analytical procedures were followed. Results Response rate was 93.8%. Median (IQR) age of the participants was 40 (32–49) years. Majority were females (79.7%). Engagement in SRH was limited, with the majority (86.3%) of participants reporting no prior training (in-service or pre-service) in teaching SRH specifically. Most participants had favouring attitudes for teaching SRH by health staff (72%) or trained teachers (73.6%). and 62.5% supported SRH being identified as a separate subject. Attitudes varied on curriculum-adequacy, gender-matched teachers and concerns about promoting early sexual activity. Utilization of Henessey-Hicks tool identified training needs specially in preparing notes, understanding laws and conducting research. Conclusions The study shows teachers' willingness in intervening in SRH issues of students but highlighted mixed attitudes and considerable needs for both structural support and targeted training. Recommendations include providing professional development incorporating practical sessions such as role-plays and case discussions. Furthermore, schools must provide assurance and security to teachers through clear protocols and establish support systems like helplines and regular discussions with parents and community groups to mitigate external resistance.