Let them know

Few days ago, I was going through my daily dose of newspaper. My eyes caught a clipping about permission granted by local administration to school for providing sex education to students. It reminds me of late 90s when some schools introduced weekly classes for sex education but due to objection of Parents and teachers, initiative was backtracked. My school was one of them. It was not that I was disappointed because at that time, I did not how it will help and why people are opposing it. Well, some of my friends were ruing at the missed chance. I do not have much hope from latest initiative. It will be taken back after sometimes because guards of our culture are against polluting young mind. Talking about sex has always remained a taboo in our society. So, legitimising discussing about sex in such a way is just out of question



Even today, I do not understand why people so bothered about sex education. Its an obvious thing that you have to know at some stage. Would not it be better if these information can be provided at right time through proper channels. These two means are either parents or school. Most of teens and youths do not like to share their problem with their parents. They want to become self-dependent and thus, like to tackle their problems themselves. Moreover, teens do not like to open themselves with parents. They generally feel hesitation in talking about their adolescent problems, doubts and any new developments. Even parents feel hesitation. They always have doubt about the timing. For example, after watching a family planning advertisements, if your son in early teen want to know what is condom, it will become a embarrassment for you and you will just try to divert his attention.



So, school become the obvious place to discuss adolescent developments. Now, here if proper guidance is not provided, students will resort to advice of friends. Here, they can come across many misconceptions prevalent among teens. These days, students are tech savvy. There are helplines and forums on the web. But these sources of information are suspicious and no one is responsible for wrong advices. Even that unreliable guidance is available to urban youths. What about majority of teens living in villages and towns ? Most of under-20 Indians are still equipped with wrong information. Few months back, I was watching 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. In a scene, Salman Khan kissed Aishwarya Rai on cheek and she posted the question whether it can lead to pregnancy. Sometimes, movies intentionally or unintentionally reflect some harsh truths and it was bang on target.



Sex education is an important aspect of life. These days, there is a huge danger of sexually transmitted disease. Information is the only defence against these fatal diseases. At some point of time, a human has to cross the line. Is not our society in name of decency and culture, playing with lives of teens? Being having knowledge, next generation will be more equipped with challenges of the new world. Well, giving formal course of sex education will deprive them of some of the interesting memories. There will be no all guys meetings to unfathom the most difficult mysteries of world like 'where babies come from' , 'is a marriage some sort of magic wand which tell god to deliver the babies' and the mother of all, 'what the hell whispers are for?'.