..of Bombay

Sorry, I am barred from using "obscene" words in this forum . The following however is an article from the Indian Express.
The portions highlighted in bold are directed at ,
as wisernow says, "the motley crew of Puritans"

Quote:

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Sex in the city schools

Express News Service
Posted online: Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 0148 hours IST
Updated: Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 1156 hours IST


Sex education is hesitantly finding a place in Mumbai?s schools, finds Baisakhi Roy

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Shraddha asked me how babies were made, when she was 12 years old. Frankly, I was quite embarrassed. But thanks to a school programme on AIDS and safe sex, her queries were answered,?? says Sheetal Mallya, whose daughter studies at Children?s Academy School, Malad.

With youngsters exposed to blatant media images and sex-related crimes, sex education can no longer be swept under the carpet. But do the so-called sex-ed programmes in schools maturely address issues of sexuality? The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in collaboration with UNICEF, has been training teachers to handle those ??uncomfortable?? questions about sex (Classes VIII to XII). But the programme just about tackles subjects like menstruation, conception, human anatomy and the reproductive process. A Biology class revisited? ??The students are very young. It?s better to discuss the basics and not go into details,?? defends BMC?s Assistant Health Officer, Schools, Usha Ubale.

However, teens feel this notion of shattered innocence is pure hogwash. ??Even an episode on Oprah (Winfrey) talked about a 14-year-old boy who impregnated his school teacher. Besides, lots of TV shows address sex crimes and how to tackle them,?? points out Gayatri Gill, 14, who gets enough info from seniors and the Net. Jayant Bhatia, 15, agrees: ??It?s no big deal. My friends and I don?t take such taboos seriously. Yet it would be nice if experts tackled sex-ed, as teachers aren?t always approachable.??


SEX-ED 101



? Film screenings: Learning through short educative films
? Debates: Thrashing out myths about sex
? Quiz competitions: Trading information and facts about sex-related issues
? Group discussions: Interactive session with teachers and experts
? Field trips to NGOs: Learning to recognise and deal with sex-related crimes



Parent and teacher at Vasant Vihar School, Thane, Rita Guha quite welcomes the school?s annual initiatives in this area: ??When my daughter Stuti was in Class VIII, there was a special sex-ed session. I feel parents and teachers should share the responsibility of keeping youngsters well-informed and free from false assumptions about sex.??

Many schools are getting more proactive too, going beyond the basics, to tackle oft-undiscussed issues, like myths about sexuality and pre-marital sex. ??It helps that we?re an all-girls school. We can freely discuss issues like teen pregnancy. The level of discomfort is fast diminishing,?? says Salma Lokhandwala, principal of Anjuman Islam school, Bandra. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

Human touch

?Initiation into sex-related issues should start at the age of three or four. Kids have to differentiate a good touch from a bad one. As a child grows up, he/ she has to be made aware of his/ her body. In the teens, children should be taught about anatomy. Thanks to the media blitz, kids have access to a lot of information and misinformation. Parents play a crucial role, in dispelling myths about sex. Topics like masturbation are perceived to be embarrassing. But youngsters must be encouraged to discuss them. It could be with any well-trained adult, the child is comfortable with?a professional doctor, psychologist, class teacher, older sibling or parent. Basically, it?s important is to do away with the medicalisation of sex and humanise it.?

? Harish Shetty, Child psychologist and President of the Counsellors Association of India

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"Aur Vaise Bhi, Sharafat ki jab kapde utarti hai, sabse zyaada mazaa shareefon ko hi aati hai"....(From The Dirty Picture)

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I once made a mistake, but I was wrong about it.