Kerala

Holistic approach can give desired results peoplespeak

It is happy news that the curriculum committee of the Kerala General Education Department has given its approval for an adolescence health education programme and the government has decided to implement the scheme in classes IX and X. The existing science syllabus also covers such topics, but that is not enough. Students in their adolescence are curious about many things. They always get false information about matters relating to sex. They cannot be blamed as there is no comprehensive and effective sex education programme meant for schoolchildren. Proper guidance is very essential as it will help the children tide over the very sensitive period of their being. The government has taken a bold step by deciding to introduce the same.

CM Bhaskaran

Nellicode

Clear, accurate and precise information about the various aspects of human body, its functions, procreation, etc should be available to our youngsters. This will help them to overcome the difficulties of teenage. Such learning will also help them grow up to be well-informed and balanced individuals. The adolescence health programme proposed to be implemented in classes IX and X will definitely play a vital role in addressing the problems faced by children of that age. It will inculcate in them a sense of responsibility. It will make them think twice before indulging in any unwanted activities. Health education programmes should also teach adolescents about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, inter-personal violence, self-inflicted violence etc. It should also tell them about managing their emotions, nutritional needs, family life, responsible parenthood and sex abuse. The programme should help children maximise their potential and skills.

S. Chithambaranathan

Kalpetta

The curriculum committee of the Kerala General Education Department will be stirring up a hornets’ nest with its Adolescence Health Education Programme, proposed to be introduced in classes IX and X. The committee has cleverly chosen to avoid the common nomenclature, sex education. A similar move by the CBSE had come under fire from different quarters in the recent past. The concept is commendable. Competent persons should be invited to hold awareness classes on the subject. Teachers as well as parents should also be prepared to discuss topics with students. Classroom learning of such matters may also encourage open courtships on the campus.

N.K. Vijayan

Kochi

Let us welcome the step taken by the curriculum committee of the General Education Department. All human beings are bound by certain values. Promiscuity was thus naturally restrained. Today, due to the influence of western culture and globalisation, there is all-round deterioration in our values. Unmarried couples’ staying together as live-in partners is not news. Dangerous diseases like AIDS are spreading. In Western countries, if a boy or a girl does not start dating after a point of time, their parents suspect something abnormal. Society cannot remain a silent spectator. We should educate our children about healthy sexual practices. With proper adolescent education, the spread of deadly diseases such as AIDS can also be curbed.

Let us do whatever is necessary to make our young adults grow up as responsible citizens. They are the country’s future assets. Proper sex education received from an authentic source is definitely better than learning it from friends.

Ambalath Aboobakar

Thrissur

The value system of youngsters, particularly teenagers, has undergone vast changes. Today teenagers are exposed to all aspects of life. There is great media exposure and technology touches every aspect of life. Their inquisitiveness is highly visible. Things which the teenagers of the past either did not know or were not permitted to discuss are now open for them. In this context, why not teenagers be imparted, as part of their curriculum, knowledge on adolescent health in its various manifestations. The move is met with resistance from a section of conservatives who feel that by imparting such knowledge the young minds are likely to be corrupted. This argument does not carry any substance. On the contrary, if teenagers are made aware of the problems they face, it will surely help them lead a perfect life. At the same time, the teachers should be careful to distinguish between vulgarity and natural processes in a refined manner.

T.N. Ramachandran Nair

Thrissur

As a student of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus, I welcome the board’s decision to put on hold the Adolescence Health Education Programme in CBSE schools. Such a concept, I believe, is more appropriate to be dealt at a higher level. Moreover, parents and teachers have already raised concerns over the contents in this programme.

P.M. Sachin

Ernakulam

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