Schools, students keen on studying sex education

VADODARA: Both school authorities and students want sex education in their curriculum an opinion which has surfaced in a study conducted by a MEd student of department of education in M S University.
Around 500 respondents, including school teachers, educators, administrators as well students, shared that sex education should be part of school education. The study also highlights the fact that most of the students had very little knowledge about AIDS and HIV and that they want to be informed on this subject.
The dissertation Study of the opinion of the teacher educators, school administrators as well teachers and students on inclusion of sex education in school' was conducted by Sandhya Das from faculty of education and psychology (FEP) to get an insight into willingness of schools and students to start this subject.
"We know that adolescents are either half informed or ill informed on this subject. There is an urgent need to provide them with correct information and that can only happen through schools. Through this study I wanted to know whether teachers and students feel the need to have sex education as a subject of study," said Das, who carried the study under the guidance of associate professor from department of education (Case) in FEP Dr R C Patel.
"Around 80 per cent of respondents felt that sex education should be part of school education. Teachers, administrators and educators feel that this topic should be taught by integrating the content in different subjects. This will foster holistic understanding of this topic among students," Das added.
Student respondents, who were from class XI, stressed that its time this topic be taught as a different subject. "Their sources of information are either internet or friends who are of their age. These are not authentic sources so most end up being misled. Even they had no clarity on AIDS and HIV, which is taking adolescents in its grip," Das shared.
Respondents, especially teachers and educators, felt that teachers need to be oriented and trained to teach this subject in the school. "Along with teachers, parents, too, need to be counselled that their children need to be taught this topic and that it will benefit them in long run. Most schools face resistance from parents whenever the idea of educating their ward on this subject is brought up. Students casually shared that very little discussion takes place on this topic at home which only increases their curiosity," Das said.
"Schools are waiting for a green signal from government to start this programme for their students. There is a hitch to introduce independently as they have faced protests," she said.