Imparting sex education in schools in India.

 Sex education means imparting basic knowledge to school children at
secondary and senior secondary levels about the human body, the functioning of its
various organs including reproductive organs of both the sexes and about the associated
diseases. The twin objectives of sex education are:-

i. To increase awareness which will reduce the unreasonable curiosity and to fill in
  the gap left by reluctant parents to answer the queries by children.
ii. It will also help to create insight and prevent inappropriate perversions to which
   children are prone to be exposed.
The WHO report claims that early sex education delays the start of sexual activity, reduces
sexual activity among young people and encourages those already sexually active to have
safer sex. With the spread of HIV infection and other sex-related infections, it is
considered necessary to impart sex education. The government of India is in favour of the
States and UTs imparting sex education to fight the spread of HIV infection.
But a section of the parents is opposed to imparting sex education on the ground that it is a
reflection of decadent western morality and may lead to an increase in sexual activity
among children. They argue that sex education and contraceptions are not the panacea to
all sex related ills in the society. The state governments of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh
and Gujarat have banned sex education in schools on the ground that the modules used to
impart sex education were too explicit and some pictures were too graphic.
Should it be banned?
What is being objected to in general is the way in which sex education is imparted. The
course and curriculum should be more scientific and designed in line with India‟s culture
and social fabric with emphasis on health. It should also be modeled to inculcate moral,
religious and cultural values among children. The emphasis should not be merely on safe
sex. Further sex education should start from home and not left to schools to impart. As
Gandhiji remarked, providing information about how organs function is one thing and to
encourage using them even inadvertently is another. What is to be objected is the latter.

Posted in: General Issues