November 13, 2024

Achieving Academic Outcomes

Enhancing Student Success

Jharkhand’s Udaan takes flight to fight stigma around sex education

Jharkhand’s Udaan takes flight to fight stigma around sex education

Underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach to sex education the Supreme Court urged the government to form an expert committee to design a national programme for sex education to reduce sexual crimes and misconceptions among youngsters.

Indian states are still grappling with the implementation, cultural acceptance, and teacher preparedness as there is no centralised curriculum to address the ignorance on the subject. The implementation varies significantly from one state to another, and many schools do not offer structured sex education. While the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed guidelines for including adolescent education and sexual health in school curricula, most schools are reluctant to follow them.

Joseph Emmanuel, chief executive and secretary, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), says, “There are programmes aimed at the social and emotional development of children. But there is a need to train teachers to offer sex education, which is a sensitive topic in a conservative society like ours.”

Organised awareness initiatives targeting teachers, parents, and students are the only solution to enhance acceptability. “Incorporating psychological counselling through peer education and providing age-appropriate lessons, starting with basics such as ‘good touch and bad touch’ can be helpful,” says Emmanuel, underlining the need for comprehensive training programmes for educators and equipping them with the skills to convey complex content effectively and handle difficult situations for a well-rounded education.

During the verdict, the Supreme Court highlighted the example of ‘Udaan’ programme introduced by Jharkhand in 2006.

Model programme
In 2002, the NCERT was appointed as the nodal agency to develop the adolescent education curriculum, receiving support from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to address sexual and reproductive health. Despite initial rollouts in 2003-2004, many states faced backlash due to the content. Jharkhand, however, was successful in developing a curriculum, under the Udaan programme, with the assistance of NACO and the Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), an NGO. Udaan was introduced in 400 state high schools for classes IX and XI with a two-teacher model consisting of one male and one female teacher helping the students.

A senior government official, associated with the Udaan programme in Jharkhand, says, “By 2013, evaluations demonstrated the effectiveness of the programme, leading to its expansion into middle schools by 2015-16. The content of the Udaan programme was fully integrated into Jharkhand’s textbooks by 2017, ensuring that sexual and reproductive health education became part of the mainstream school curriculum. Further, the practices of Udaan model were adopted at the national level also.”

Overcoming challenges
The initial content of Udaan — including anatomy and family planning, faced backlash. Revisions were made during the development of the school health and wellness programme in 2020, which addressed community concerns. “Teachers undergo five-day training sessions at each level to better handle sensitive topics. The ongoing training sessions continue to support teachers who still struggle while delivering the content,” says the official, adding, “The programme helped in improving the communication and leadership skills of students. Initially, students were hesitant to report any abuse, but now they are more empowered to do so.”

Only in Biology lessons
Jayaprakash RK, director, SCERT Kerala, says, “Sex education must be prioritised across all states, including Kerala. Comprehensive sex education plays a crucial role in empowering young individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate their sexual health and relationships responsibly.”

A major gap lies in the existing curriculum which often lacks a dedicated syllabus for sex education. “Presently, discussions around sexual health and education are available only in Biology textbooks in high school. The Kerala government attempted to revise its curriculum in 2007, but implementation has been hindered by various obstacles such as cultural resistance and reluctance to discuss sensitive material. We are working on it and will take this up with the government again so that sex education is properly integrated into the curriculum.”

Jayaprakash says, “Teachers face challenges when it comes to teaching sensitive topics. There is often a reluctance to impart these subjects due to social stigma, insufficient training, and a lack of confidence in delivering the material. This leads to missed opportunities for open discussions, leaving students without essential information. To address these issues, comprehensive training programmes for educators and workshops for parents are necessary to foster a supportive environment for learning.”

A national curriculum could provide a standardised framework that allows states the flexibility to customise content based on their local contexts. “This approach could promote a more inclusive and informed understanding of sexual health among students, thereby equipping them to navigate their developmental stages with confidence,” he adds.

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