‘Comprehensive Sex Education’ To Be Part Of School, College Curriculum: Centre To SC | India News
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Additional Solicitor General said that the report submitted by the committee has been accepted by the government and will be implemented across the country.
Supreme Court of India (Credits: PTI Photo)
The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to introduce “comprehensive sex education” in all schools and colleges, following the committee’s recommendation. The government said that the plan would be implemented once the court approves it, according to a report published by The Times Of India.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, while appearing before a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan, said that the report submitted by the committee has been accepted by the government and will be implemented across the country.
The report was submitted after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to examine measures to prevent cases involving adolescent relationships and minor pregnancies from being criminalised under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A 26-member national expert committee was appointed by the central government, headed by an additional secretary and the Women and Child Development Ministry.
The committee was given the task of examining issues related to the right to privacy of adolescents who were engaging in consensual sexual relationships, with particular reference to the Pocso Act.
What The Panel Suggested?
The panel, which included experts from TISS, clinical psychologists, representatives from various central ministries, state governments, NCPCR, and NLSA, said that subjects on “comprehensive sex education” and “child sexual abuse” should be included in the core syllabus in schools.
The panel added that basic concepts of hygiene, safety and body parts and the concepts of safe-unsafe touch can be made part of the syllabus at the foundational stage.
The committee has suggested that the NCERT develop the curriculum accordingly. The panel, in its report, said that adolescent education should be introduced in the schools and colleges in alignment with NEP- 2020.
“Current adolescent education programmes, which integrate safety and security concerns with awareness on age-appropriate aspects of comprehensive sex education, may be reviewed and supplemented, as deemed fit so, as to fulfil NEP’s core principles of holistic development, critical thinking and building life skills,” the committee said.
“From primary school level onwards, a dedicated expert teacher should be assigned, and classes on these topics should be held mandatorily for at least 15-20 minutes, twice a week. Special meetings should be held for parents, guardians, and teachers to inform them about the developmental milestones of children and the importance of sex education,” the report stated.
Appreciating the report, senior advocates Madhavi Divan and Liz Mathew, who were assisting the apex court as amici curiae, underlined the need to enumerate “comprehensive sex education”. The Supreme Court said that it will study the report and pass an appropriate order.
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