India has always been
land of education. From Taxila University to IITs, it has been home to some of
the most prestigious institute in the world. But unfortunately we have been
lagging in providing quality education to the poor. The government schools are
in desperate need of help.
Along with that, the
curriculum provided in all the school is really very outdated. Majority of the
class room are still under equipped and please don’t get me started on the
unavailability of computers. But today, I would like to talk about sex
education.
Now in India, even
mentioning the word “sex” aloud is a taboo. It is something which has been
discussed by the last benchers of classroom, often giggling when the biology
teacher draws a weird looking vagina. Back in my days, young boys get to know
about birds and bees via some really shady magazine or by a “bhaiya”( an elder
and “experienced” boy of the neighbourhood). Taking notes from those guys is
the worst thing any curious mind can get, but hey this is how the cookie
crumbles in most parts of India. Things which I’m talking about are of course
pre-smartphone and pre-easy internet era. And how can I forget those times,
when our peers used to exchange those shiny discs of *ahem*, never mind. My
point is that sex education is not available to the young mind and that it
should be introduced as soon as possible.
I was shocked to read an
article today, which was about a 9 year old boy who raped a 6 year old girl.
This news is hard to digest but the incident was confirmed with help of medical
examination. Now to be honest, these sorts of incidents are bound to happen.
Young minds are not sure of the change happening in their body and because of
exposure to pornographic material so easily, they tend to commit mistake. Now
the boy have to spend time at juvenile remedial centre, but it could had been
easily avoided if he knew that what he was experimenting was wrong.
Sex ed curriculum around the world starts from
a young age of 6-7 . They discuss about private parts and how it is inappropriate
to be touched by strangers or others. This is the best way to keep a child safe
from paedophile and save him/her from being targeted by those predators.
Imagine the trauma a child will go through, when he will grow up and remember
those horrific incidents. It would be only then, when he will realise that he
was molested and by that time it would be too late to punish those demons of
society.
Sex education is also
necessary to preach young minds about safe and healthy sex. Even if they try
experimenting from young age, proper guidelines will keep them safe from any
Sexually transmitted disease as well as unplanned pregnancy.
When a child is given
proper knowledge from a young age, he would have clear idea about maintaining
his sexual health. It would also help him in family planning later in his life,
and this is the most urgent need of India at the moment. Things are definitely changing
and we are moving forward. Sex education has been included in some school
boards but only a small aspect of it has been discussed. Sex is a hush-hush
topic in major part of the country but it is now finding a place in many
healthy debates
Time has come when talking about”birds and bees” will actually mean
talking about birds and bees! Oh and yes, I have no shame in saying my thoughts
aloud. And before we Indians gasp at this word one more time, let me spell it
out to you again... S-E-X, SEX!
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