A Culture Shock Called Sex Education

Recently, during the tabling of the caste survey in Bihar Assembly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made an ill-thought-out remark that an educated woman “knows how to restrain” a man and can ensure that sex doesn’t necessarily end in pregnancy. His remarks, which his deputy Tejashwi Yadav claimed were about sex education, stirred a huge controversy, with many calling him vulgar and shameless. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him out during an election rally, saying he “doesn’t have any shame” and “humiliated” the entire country. 

Nitish Kumar’s remarks were crude, and he apologised for them with folded hands. But it was not the crudeness that triggered a row. What was it that made people outraged? Did he really say something that was offensive to women? Or to men? Or is it just the fact that he mentioned something about sex education in the public sphere?

Sex education is still a hush-hush topic in India and one that is largely abandoned in schooling systems. Teachers skip an entire chapter on sex education in biology class, and give it as homework just to avoid the awkwardness of the embedded stigma. At home, when curious children ask their parents about it, they are told they need to pay more attention to something else. 

As a result, the topic of sexuality remains taboo and an unresolved interpsychic conflict that gets passed on from generation to generation. 

Will anyone ever address it?

A study shows that 88 per cent of the Indian youth emphasised that sex education should start in primary school, 66 per cent reported that teachers in primary and secondary level are not equipped with the knowledge and skill to impart sex education, and 90 per cent of the youth agreed that parents and teachers should be provided factual training which will equip them with the skill to talk on this subject matter.

The truth is that there have been attempts in bits and pieces to address sex education and bring it back to mainstream education and societal acceptance. Especially with more awareness about the sexuality spectrum and sexual abuse, children are getting more “aware” about sexual health. However, much of this education is superficial and comes from outside classrooms.

In 2005, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a circular introducing a program called ‘The Adolescence Reproductive and Sexual Health Education’ (ASRH). The Union government released it in 2006 but it was not very successful. While some states incorporated the program, most adopted it with variations according to what they considered “important” or, rather, what they felt comfortable with.

Moreover, in most parts of India, the milieu under which students are socialised is heterosexist in nature, for it is perceived that excessive ‘openness’ about sex education could affect a child’s behavioural patterns that can ‘turn’ them into homosexuals. Another presumption is that more knowledge about sex will make them more curious about it –as a commonly heard statement goes– ‘Bachche bigar jayenge’ (the kids will be spoilt).

This stems from the misconception about sex education taken at face value, which again stems from misinformation and lack of proper education. Even though sex education is essential to create awareness about contraception, gender sensitivity, and prevent sexual abuse, teen pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases, among other things, it is still outcasted from social mores.

The ‘value’ factor

Most Indian parents and teachers do not want to talk about sex. This stems from a conservative mindset which does not allow topics around sexuality to be discussed in an open space. Many Indian families to date also live in a joint family setup that follows traditional norms and does not allow the sharing of private experiences openly. A common concern is that such talks are “unnecessary” and will disrupt the social order or family values. 

Often, the youth also find it difficult to have these conversations because they have never discussed these topics with them. A study on sex education in higher secondary schools in India finds that 92 per cent of girls and 80 per cent of boys in co-ed schools accept that their cultural beliefs would not allow them to discuss sex and related issues. Similarly, 86 per cent of girls in only-girls schools and 60 per cent of boys in only-boys schools acknowledged the same.

Sex education became a topic of discussion in the 1980s due to the growing awareness about the AIDS epidemic. This was the first time people legitimised talking about it openly, outside the realm of law, medicine or demography. It also inculcated a discussion about homosexuality. But this faded the moment the HIV/AIDS epidemic was contained. People stopped feeling the need to address the topic of sex.

Lately, with the rise of the Hindu far-right and a heightened attention to 'Indian values', sex education has taken the backseat again. In fact, during the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, one of the major chapters taken off the syllabus was –surprise– sex education, reestablishing the taboo around the topic.

On the other hand, one of the few success stories was an initiative by UNESCO called ‘Udaan’. This was an adolescent awareness program about sex education that started in Jharkhand in 2009. According to UNESCO’s report in 2021, in the span of 10 years (between 2009 and 2019), the program helped educate more than a million school students about adolescent health, including sex education.

However, for a country like India, with more than 400 million children and adolescents, such a program, as much as appreciated, is only a drop in the ocean. Our school curriculums need to equip children and youth with knowledge that helps them improve their decision-making skills and communication in the context of sexual awareness. Until the myths are busted and people start looking beyond morals and values, promoting holistic mental and physical well-being around the topic of sex is next to impossible.