Dumb and Dumber…
Amidst the controversy surrounding the CBSE textbooks on sex education in India (Karnataka became the latest state to join the ban brigade, following Maharashtra and before that, Kerala, Gujarat and MP), several reports mention the alarming statistic that “India is number two in the world among the countries most effected by the (HIV/AIDS) virus“…and consequently, there is strong justification for imparting sex education in schools.
I have no problem with sex education at an appropriate age (and I dont think a ban is the best way to deal with issues it may raise) but the “statistic” of HIV/AIDS caught my eye – not only does it exaggerate the magnitude of the problem, the data that it is based upon is suspect as well. See for example. this post I wrote several months back on how “Truth” and “Facts” were the first casualty of AIDS in India.
So to use this “figure” to justify sex education is not only wrong but also reflects lack of homework amongst reporters.
Across the border, the Pakistani moral police is apparently in action again in Islamabad – this time targeting DVD shops because they show films and songs “which is against Sharia”.
The Vice -Principal of the Madrasa whose students are suspected to be involved in these acts (Jamia Hafsa school), Abdul Rashid Ghazi denied that the raids (on DVD and music shops) were carried out by his students although he admitted that in the past, traders has been “politely” asked not to show pornographic films and choose other jobs “which are not repugnant to Sharia” (Pg 28, “Moral Police hits Islamabad Street”, Hindustan Times, Apr 4, ’07).
Almost in tandem, Pakistan’s Censor Board announced that it will not allow unchecked access to Indian movies but permit only those films made by Pakistani producers and directors with foreign technology.
“…no stuff would be allowed which does not come in conformity with our moral values,” said Azfar Shafqat, chairman of the Central Film Censor Board of Pakistan.
Apparently the current censor policy is too gentle and mild so that “Pakistani movies could compete with popular foreign films” (sic).
And while our PM merrily announced a string of unilateral measures at the SAARC summit (including no visas – yay! :-(, the ban on Indian movies continues – presumably because they may cause moral corruption.
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P.S. For those of you who are curious, my stand on the issue (of sex education in schools) is that a ban is counter-productive and may actually lead to misleading information being passed on to students.
One can argue about the age at which children should be exposed to this information (6 years is obviously too young and 20 is definitely too late), I think there can be no fundamental objection to children being taught about “the birds and the bees”.
Some of you may also want to read Bachi Karkaria’s balanced lead article on this issue in the Times of India.
Sex Education
sex is a taboo’ d word in India ..so maybe marketing it as the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) will definately help to some extent….
I remember when i was in XI std Science where we had our first ever chapter on male and female reproductive organs.there was proffessor who use to teach this topic by using words like sex, sexual intercourse, vagina, penis, chums, nuts and further spice it up with his special touches lecturing skills with sex jokes. And the whole class use to giggle or shy away or emabaressed.. but everyone use to enjoy the lecture…
But when the same lesson we use to learn in our private coaching classes where we had a Sir who us talk in all scientific terms like epididymis,vas deference,seminal vescile,labia majora n minora,perinum etc.. and he use to talk about the whole topic in major seriousness … none of us to giggle nor any kind of back bencher jokes… further this serious sirs class is what got us full marks in diagrams and 10mark long question.. even after 10 years i remember the scientific termenology in itself is a success of this sir.
The point i am trying to make, if we look at “AEP” as more on the scientific learning program and importance then on classifying and propogating as “sex-education” … maybe parents and the politicians will be able to digest it.
Just imagine a 12year old Higher secondary kid saying to his orthodox mother .. “mom please pack my back with ENg,Marathi,History,Geo and sex education books.
Further not just sex education but also smoking, drinking, drugs and steriods should we incorporated in Adolance education programme.. which leads to sex.
In India highest abortion cases where minors are involed take place after the Navratri festival… and further the irony is maximum condom sales takes place in navratri..
(the abortion figures in major also are quite alarming after navratri)
SO PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A HEALTHY CHAT WITH YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS BEFORE THEY ARE OFF TO NAVRATRI
further the new condom condom campaigns and cell phone with condom condom ringtones are some of the best idea to erase the sex taboo.
http://condomcondom.org/
(condom sales 50% higher in navratri)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1259031.cms
(increase in abortion cases after navratri)
http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/938.html
i fully agree mr.karkaria. when one himself is not comfertable with topic realted to sex then how he /she will teach his childrens???shantanu i always belive in that charity begins at home. if u want to impove world first improves yourself,be libral and start loveing & respacting others. in india when we adult are not haveing proper sex education and information then how can we give something to our childrens. sex education is more abt begin comfertable with opposite sex . for me sex education is not only abt learning reproductive system or mating positions. it is about learning safe sex and proper sex.it is abt respacting ur partner and understanding ur partner. it is also abt human behavior and will to have sex with someone. it is abt society’s thinking abt sex and realted issues.
in india untill we give women there proper place and respact nothing will improves. a child is more comfertable with mom then dad. if a women want to teach his ward abt sex it is easy for her to teach and make him understand in friendly manner. but for this to happen she must be fully aware and educated abt that first. we consider women as sex object and weeker part of society. we don’t respact there rights.unless we give our childern a free and libral society nothing gona help us. in western countries society is very open minded cos they respact womens. when a child is young he finds no problam watching smooch scene and is comfertable with that as normal. he start learning by looking at society. nudity to certain extend is not a problam for him and he makes his own assumption abt sex and other things. after that when he gets real lesson on that topic from school or parents it is easy for him to understand and clear his doubts. in india we are not comfertable with nudity at all. it is against our custom. when we are alone we want to see prone movies abt with children we can’t see even fashion tv or music video.it is more of a mental obstruction then any other thing. our parents was not comfertable, now we are not comferetable and next genration wil also be not comfertable. who will break this cycle? someone will have to be comfertable, someone will have to take lead and talk. if we start talking to our children and give them a happy and friendly enviroment more then half of social problem will end.
@ tarun: “if we start talking to our children and give them a happy and friendly enviroment more then half of social problem will end.”
Well said!