In a classroom of Class 8 and 9 students at Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Thycaud, in the city, the ‘ayes’ did not have it. The students had just been asked if they would like to know about sex. Whatever be their secret wish, a good number of the students, especially the younger lot, were vocal about their ‘no.’ The older among them were more upfront though.
And so began the first of two-hour sessions on comprehensive sexuality education for students as part of Project X, a first-of-its kind initiative from the district administration, the General Education department, and the NGO Kanal Innovations for school students in the district.
Since comprehensive sexuality education is about providing accurate, age-appropriate information, Anson P.D. Alexander, director of Kanal, and his team began the class with a discussion on the human brain and its growth and development before moving on to the human body’s development. PowerPoint presentations were used to illustrate their points.
As the classroom was packed with boys, the changes occurring in the body of a male adolescent were not an unfamiliar subject, be it acne, hair growth, or voice change. When it came to the female anatomy though, some of the students tried hard to maintain a straight face.
As Anson talked the class through the evident changes in the female body, he went into the reasons for it and why these should not become a reason for body shaming adolescent girls.
He spoke about menstruation and its role in conception, but also lingered on aspects that tend to be ignored such as pre-menstrual syndrome. He did not shy away from dwelling on stomach cramps and back pain that many women experience during their periods but keep quiet about as they go about with daily chores. Surprisingly, quite a few hands went up when the students were asked if they offered comfort to their mothers during such times.
There were no titters either when he talked about women’s reproductive organs and what childbirth involved.
The mood was kept light throughout with posers and jokes. A few laughs broke out when Anson talked about the dos and dont’s of men’s personal hygiene.
From physical aspects, the interaction gradually moved to aspects such as consent in relationships and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. The students were urged to respect the physical boundaries of the other sex and informed about the penal provisions of the POCSO Act and what could lead to these being slapped against them.
Pornography and its ramifications, including legal ones, were also discussed during the session. A closed-door Q&A that had the students bringing up specific questions brought the session to a close.
Students’ feedback at the end too was positive, with some asking for more sessions and for these to be held in all schools.
Model School has asked for a comprehensive sexuality education session for its Class 10 students too, says Anson. Daily updates on the sessions are sent to the Collectorate, he says.
Project X, with funding from the district administration and consultancy firm Guidehouse as part of their CSR, will reach out to 5,000 students in 50 schools in the district this year.
