the goan I network
PANAJI
A NGO, Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN-Goa), has written to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar making out a case for inclusion of sex education in school curriculum in the State. In the letter, Emidio Pinto of SCAN-Goa said Comprehensive Sexuality Education should be included as part of academic curriculum from standard V.
Pinto has raised concern over increased number of cases of exposure to sexual activity of children in the age group of 15 years and below, adding that the curriculum must be designed keeping in mind the specific context of Goan socio-cultural ethos and incorporate all critical concerns of adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
“Girls as young as 13 and 14 years of age have conceived and delivered children. Young girls at an age when they should be enjoying their childhood and attending schools are now carrying the responsibility of being a mother,” Pinto says in the letter.
He also said that there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of young girls eloping with men. “In the last quarter, we have assisted victims of sexual abuse as young as 4 and 9 years old,” Pinto says, adding that a young boy or a girl approaching their teens undergo physical and emotional changes of which they need to be aware.
Awareness is important to ensure children can make an informed decision as they go through their teenage years, he said, adding that a woeful lack of information and awareness leads to them undergoing traumatic experiences which range from sexual abuse, pregnancy, physical and emotional abuse.
“Their physical and psychological health also suffers as a consequence. Sex education must be conceptualised focusing on critical elements that would enable young people to deal effectively with critical issues,” the letter said.
