Separate classes for boys and girls on sex education?

NEW DELHI: Co-educational schools may soon have an all-girls and an all-boys class once a week.

This special 30-minute session will discuss sexually transmitted infections and HIV and forms part of the recommendations made by India’s first official sex education manual, which is now open for public scrutiny.

While male teachers will teach the boys, girls will be enlightened by lady teachers about how HIV is spread, what are the precautions one can take, is abstinence a good option to save yourself from the virus and what are the symptoms of a sexual transmitted infection.

Koutenya Sinha, for TNN

Teachers have been asked to initiate a brainstorming session with students asking them to name some of the latest diseases affecting people. When HIV/AIDS is mentioned, only then will the teacher start discussing the HIV epidemic in India.

The origin of the virus will be discussed, its prevalence in the world and in India, why women and children are most vulnerable to getting infected and what is its mode of transmission.

Kids may giggle their way through the class but they better pay attention because the manual has asked teachers to quiz students at the end of the class to ensure the messages don’t go waste.

The manual, which is open for public feedback till August, is expected to be finalized by October.

On Tuesday, India’s National AIDS Control Organisation presented the prototype of the Adolescent Education Manual to education secretaries and AIDS control societies from 20 states.

Naco says to combat HIV, prevention is the best cure. The manual, it says, will educate youngsters – six of whom are infected with HIV every minute worldwide – about essential life skills and accurate information about HIV and STIs.