When should sex education be a formal part of education ? Bangalore gynaecologist Dr Sangeeta Saksena says: "Definitely by 5th class. Girls begin to mature by then and need to understand body functions. From 1st class, we should help them to deal with body systems, image; good touch and bad touch to prevent child abuse." Arundhati Chavan of pta United Forum, Mumbai, says sex education must be institutionalised, needs more counsellors.
Parents or schools? Vijay Nagaswami, a Chennai-based counsellor, says: "Schools can teach basics from a physiological standpoint, parents must discuss sexual behaviour, attitudes."
Where should the focus be? "Sex education should be more about relationships and less about the physical act," says Ratnesh Mathur, who runs a resource centre for children in Bangalore. "We need to talk about life, feelings and responsibility rather than just medical terms," says Mumbai-based counsellor Harish Shetty. The consensus: issues involving gender, identity, relationships, attitude to sex, pornography etc must all be addressed.
What should the abcs be? Says Mathur: "It begins with the way a child views his/her physical appearance. Once a child is empowered with the right information, sex loses its novelty value."
The next stage... Says Sandhya Supreeth, counsellor at Kumaran’s, "In 7th class, the questions are innocent, by 8th class they are curious about the physical aspects, in 9th class they want to know the facts of life and by 10th class it is more of emotion-related questions."
What about crushes? Says Dr Saksena: "We tell them that while it is natural to be attracted to a friend, they should avoid being alone in a private place. Meet friends in a group at a cafe or a public place." Lucknow teacher Rehana Ali says, "It is difficult to take up the emotional aspect in details. I try to explain the significance of a hug and a kiss during moral science lessons."
How much should be told? How is this to be decided, given the different backgrounds of children in a school? Says Nagaswami: "Tell them everything there is. Censorship or limited release capsules only lead to more confusion."