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Has our understanding of what to teach children in sex education changed from when it was all about abstinence and taboo?
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
Oh, high school days!
A whirlwind of uniforms, friendships, and adolescent curiosity.
Let’s turn back the clock to reminisce about those quirky moments from our sexual education class.
I’m sure we can all recall the anticipation and awkward giggles that filled the air when the announcement was made. However, in my case, what should have been an enlightening experience turned out to be, well, quite a comical misadventure.
Picture this: a hushed classroom, nervous whispers fluttering around, and then in strides a figure we least expected — a priest. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not here to debate his qualifications (which I am still unsure about), but it did add an intriguing twist to the setting. As we settled in, anticipating the usual discourse on reproductive biology (because the insights on the topic never went beyond that in a high school classroom), we found ourselves caught off guard as the lesson veered down an unforeseen path.
Gone were the traditional teachings on reproductive biology, and in came a flood of lectures on abstinence and self-defense. I remember sitting there, perplexed, as the good father delved into the importance of saying ‘no’ and how to fend off unwanted advances. While these lessons were undoubtedly vital, the glaring omission of consensual sex left us scratching our heads.
The atmosphere almost insinuated that any kind of consensual intimacy was a taboo, a risky venture destined to lead us astray. It was as if the notion of mutual understanding and respect was swept under the rug, buried under a mountain of cautionary tales and fear. With all his earnestness, the priest seemed to paint the canvas of sexual relationships in monochrome, devoid of the vibrant shades of consent and mutual understanding.
Two decades later, one can’t help but wonder: has the landscape of sex education in India evolved since then? Are our educational institutions now fostering a more comprehensive understanding of intimacy, consent, and healthy relationships? It’s a thought worth pondering, especially in today’s ever-evolving social milieu.
Perhaps our educational curriculum has embraced a more holistic approach, bridging the gap between the physiological and emotional aspects of human intimacy. Maybe conversations around consent are no longer relegated to whispered discussions in the confines of a progressive classroom. Who knows, today’s students might be benefiting from a curriculum that not only imparts the facts of biology but also nurtures a profound understanding of empathy and mutual respect.
As we look back and chuckle at the quaint eccentricities of our bygone lessons, let’s hope that the journey of sexual education has paved the way for a more open, inclusive, and informed understanding of intimacy, one that cherishes the values of consent, mutual respect, and the vibrant spectrum of human connections.
After all, isn’t education about embracing the diverse hues of life with open arms and an open mind?
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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