Need to move with the times
YASHWANTH CP
OUR POLITICIANS relish controversy. They pass laws or rules that affect our lives just for the sake of creating a controversy, which in turn results in huge publicity. The ban on sex education seems to be one such publicity stunt. Without bothering too much about politicians, I want to present my case on why I feel sex education in schools is very important.
I believe students in the age group of 15+ are mature enough to get sex education. In fact most school kids these days discuss sex and related matters even before they are 13.
We need to accept the sad truth that in India parents feel very uncomfortable in talking to their kids about sex. If not from parents, kids will learn about sex and related topics only from the most unreliable of sources such as friends, cousins/family members who are equally misguided. Since most parents are not educating kids about sex, the next best way to ensure that the youth are not misguided is to have such education as part of the school curriculum.
I myself have gone through formal sex education in my school and apart from a few giggles, I do not remember feeling weird during the classes. It was useful in many ways too.
Sex education should cover all aspects: 1. biological features in humans that enable reproduction; 2. what constitutes a sexual act; 3. the process of reproduction; 4. The side effects of having sex; and 5. the risks involved in indulging in sexual acts (sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, unwanted pregnancy).
As with any animal, the act of reproduction need not be taught to us; it is in our genes and we will eventually figure out what to do. But what is important is how to learn to be responsible with sex, how to avoid getting into trouble, how to protect ourselves from STDs. These are the things no friend or cousin is going to tell you about.
Exposed to sleaze
The youth these days are exposed to so much sleaze — right from newspapers, magazines, TV, movies, internet, mobile content, VCDs, DVDs. Many young professionals live alone in cities where access to paid sex is very easy and cheap.
Without knowing the risks involved, they try it out and repent later. If only they had been warned, they would not get into such situations.
Many young girls and even boys are sexually exploited by `well wishers'; these young ones do not even realise they have been exploited; they are confused and scarred for life. Sex education will help in these cases, and if teachers are trained well, students will actually have someone to approach in case of nagging doubts.
All things considered, we cannot overemphasise the importance of sex education at the school level. We need to accept the fact that we are living in a complicated world leading complicated lives. We need to move with the times. Children have access to all the information at the click of a button. But to ensure they do not ruin themselves with what pop culture is telling them is `cool' we need to guide them where necessary.
Preventing access to porn or movies or tabloids or TV is not practical, but adding a single chapter to the school curriculum is simple and practical.
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