Parliamentary committee says no sex education before Class XII,experts differ

In a decision taken by a Rajya Sabha panel headed by BJP leader Venkiah Naidu,it was suggested that certain chapters in Biology should not be introduced before Class XII. The committee also stated,“The message that pre-marital sex is immoral,unethical and unhealthy should be given appropriately to schoolchildren.”

The decision has caused much flutter in the academic circles with many having gone to the extent of calling it “Talibanisation of education”. Experts also warn against the side-effects of half-baked knowledge.

“We are not living in the 19th century. Children these days have access to different media and if we have mistaken to see,they are smarter than us. It is essential that teachers as well as parents address such issues as soon as their children attain puberty. Things can get worse if we linger on till Class XII,” said Dr Adarsh Kohli,additional psychiatry professor at PGI.  

With easy access to the Internet and even television portraying promiscuity unabashedly,children,say experts,are learning about the ‘birds and the bees’ at a young age.

“Internet is full of pornographic sites which is the main culprit. If we do not satiate their queries,they will naturally turn to other means of information. This will do more harm than good. Curiosity also makes them experiment with things. Providing correct knowledge can act as the only deterrent,” suggests Professor Nisha Minocha,a child counsellor.

Taking into consideration the importance of sex education,the Central Board of Secondary Education had instructed all schools to include an Adolescents’ Education Programme in their curriculum. But the panel’s suggestion to introduce chapters related to sex and HIV/AIDS in Class XII has acted as a dampener for schools.

The Education department had already planned to rope in NGOs and experts from PGI to discuss the subject in schools.

“Sex is one of the basic truths of life. There is no harm in imparting education on the subject to children if done in a healthy manner. The committee’s decision is based more on the lines of Taliban than wisdom,” said Sanjay Sardana,director,Manav Mangal Smart School. Most of the principals unanimously said that the topic should be dealt with wisely rather than turning a blind eye to it.