Sex Education is not a Crime

Now, if you all don’t know about it, our CBSE system of education recommends the sex education to the children under the CBSE board, in 8th standard – around 13 years of age – at the entry into teenage.

I am all for this, actually support it – but is it enough, if they start at 13 years ???  Majority of the children, under 13 yrs of age, who are abused sexually, don’t even know what’s happening to them.

So, here I am thinking, that they should start at a much early age, when came the shocking news from many children, that these specific chapters are not been taught in school. I was like WWWHHHAAATTTT ????

Immediately I got hold of one 8th standard Science Text Book and looked for that chapter.

Yes, there is a small 2 page write-up, which is very simple enough to read and understand. But the sad part is, year after year, it’s an omitted chapter, either by the teachers or school authorities. Why ???

Now, are they trying to help the child by avoiding the teaching of that chapter ???

Or are they saving themselves from embarrassment in teaching such a topic ???

Either way, it’s not doing any good for the children.

There’s this topic called the “Determination of the Sex of the child” and it tells all about the XX and XY chromosomes.  And finally there’s an interesting question like “So, who do you think is responsible for the sex of the child – the mother or father ?”

I find this is a good thing to teach the children.  But why do they avoid teaching all this ???

Isn’t this the right way to stop those boys from growing up into senseless, ruthless men, asking their wife to give them a son, when they themselves are at fault ???

Isn’t this an important topic to teach and discuss ???

Yes, the children are shy to talk about it – every where they go, they are faced with a conservative crowd, which says its wrong for girls to talk to boys.  So, how to remove this inhibition from the child’s mind ???

Everywhere, the child goes, there is a mental block –

1. Talking to the other gender is a big NO NO.

2. The school doesn’t want to teach the Sex Education chapter.

3. The parents are not helping either.

So, where does the child go to understand stuff ???  Finally, they might end up learning things totally wrong.

I feel that the parents too play an important role in educating their child about this.

Start at an early age and start talking to them about the bees and the birds and how they reproduce. Allow them to watch those Discovery / Animal Planet shows,  in which they talk about animal mating behavior. There’s nothing wrong in knowing, it’s the way, the world survives.

Give them books to read. Answer honestly on the questions raised by them. Dont ever hide anything. That is the only way, the children will start trusting the parents.

There were some boys, who underlined the word “SEX” in that Science text-book, and kept laughing among themselves.  If not taught properly, they’ll start laughing even when they see forms with “SEX – Male / Female” !!!   Isn’t it embarrassing ????

Teenage is a crucial age for both boys and girls.  When bodily and mental changes take place, the support of the parents and the teachers is very much required.  Till the time they get comfortable with their own body and feelings, we need to give them good support. We need to educate on the right things. And doing things right.

Actually, educating the children at a much earlier age, will help prevent a lot of problems.

– A child who knows about the good and bad touch, will know it when they see it happening. And the child will be comfortable in telling the parent / teacher, who has taught the child about it. So, there is more awareness on this.

– The child will not feel embarrassed to ask their parents, when there is honesty in teaching them about it.

– Mutual communication between the parents and the children will improve and teenage won’t be a difficult phase to manage.

– The boy-girl friendship will be on healthier terms and silly teasing will stop.

Hence, I sincerely put forth my request to the CBSE Board in India, to make sure that all schools under this Board teach this chapter on Sex Education. It’s not enough if the chapter is present in the book, it needs to be taught properly and in the right way.

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