Chapter nine in class VIII, and chapter eight in class X have always been chapters children are eager to study and giggle about; whereas teachers are eager to skip. Well, it’s not just your experience or mine, because to many others, sexual education is such a precious topic that it’s confined to secrecy, more steadfastly than the location of the infinity stones. At least, that’s what I have observed all my life – first as a student and now, as a teacher.
In the world of connectivity, where training to use the internet is as fundamental as training a child to hold a spoon, children have newer resources to access information and keeping them away from ‘additional’ knowledge is more difficult than ever. Today, a five-year-old may not know how to hold a pencil, or recite the complete phonetic table, but it’s possible he’d know how to open up his favouriteYouTube video. So, what’s to stop him accessing information unsuitable to his age?
Children of class III and IV are exposed to the world of dating, girlfriends and boyfriends and more often, menstruation. A 10-year-old girl, who might have never come across this word, experiences it in school premises and becomes a topic of gossip because of her lack of education and awareness. When a 13-year-old confuses his mathematics chapter on mensuration, with menstruation, in his pronunciation, other children giggle and it becomes one of those “hawww” moments. What no one notices is the basic lack of knowledge among children about their sexual and reproductive health.
It’s not like educational system doesn’t have curated chapters in the curriculum, which not only talk about reproduction and reproductive health, but also give children the right direction to explore their sexual identities.
But since the time I have been a student, to now, when I teach students, teachers in most schools – including big, well-built private schools – prefer skipping portions which make their class take a course in their sex education. The phrase goes something like, “Yeh toh tumhe aata hoga”. The statement itself portrays an issue of assumption, because there’s no education worse than incomplete education, as it exposes knowledge to interpretation for oneself as well as on to others.
Even when topics of sex and sexuality get covered according to curriculum, chances are the education stops right when children begin to ask questions. Classes are adjourned and the conversation is probably never held again.
This has been a forever chain. Since I was in those classes a mere six-seven years ago, to date, when I teach kids precisely those lessons; the world might have changed, but the avoidance of topics of sexual and reproductive health in our schools has remained a constant. The real question remains, how are we more concerned about our discomfort rather than the incomplete knowledge we impart to children, exposing them to serious consequences of their curiosity?
With little access to correct and comprehensive information on family planning and access to contraceptives, Indian adolescents are at risk of serious concerns such as a rise in the likelihood of teenage pregnancies. The number stands at 16 million girls between the ages of 15 to 19 years, according to a report by National Family Health Survey.
Knowledge of menstruation remains limited to 21.68% among girls, and many of them are restricted from going to school and taking part in physical activity, limiting their growth in academic and social spheres. Similarly, when it comes to masturbation; while 42.6% boys knew about it, only 20.1% girls had sound knowledge of it. Since it’s a hush-hush topic not meant for girls, it’s clear it was particularly de-sensationalised among them, according to research.
The only way this lack of knowledge or incorrect knowledge about sex, sexuality and sexual expression can be changed are as follows:
- Instilling proper, comprehensive and objective sexual education in class, free of assumption that kids know it all already.
- Right from early years, children should be informed about concepts such as ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ to keep themselves safe.
- Sexual health should become a living room topic with children, instead of skipping the channel on those songs, scenes or ads, which portrays anything sexual.
- Written material and information should be provided to the children rather than kept hidden from them.
If this is implemented, a child might not escape the boundaries of home to find answers. Rather, it would build them a comfort zone so they can make correct, well-informed, well-supported decisions.