Ideal Age to Educate School Students about Sex

The ideal age to educate school students about sex is between ten and twelve. It is so because by this time, their reproductive organs start to develop and the onrush of hormones can make them go on a surge of emotions. This is the time when they are likely to explore their sexuality. With the explicit and implicit portrayal of sex in the media nowadays, it becomes important that parents take care in educating their kids about sexual behaviour and how to keep themselves safe from harmful sexual activities.  Although sex education has not found favours with the Indian authorities as its content presented by international authorities such as WHO is against the sensibilities of the countrymen, the problem our youth faces cannot be ignored. The problem of teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases is not as rampant in a country like India as it is in western countries but still, there is no denying that the adolescents in the country can do with some sort of education on this subject. The health authorities of India have not come up with a sex education programme which does not pose problems of sensibilities with the teachers as well as the students. This shows that they are not taking it seriously.  The school children need to be informed about sexual behaviour if not about safe sex practices. It has been found many times that the instructions given by their parents at home are not adequate enough. Moreover, school kids need to be informed about the relationships, commitment, the real meaning of love, and the values of the marital bond. If this is given to them at the right age, it would prepare them to deal with life situations better.  One of the problems regarding sexual behaviour in India is the cultural values associated with it. That is why it is important that the health authorities do not push this issue under the carpet and look to formulate and implement a sex education policy which is steeped in values of the people. When it comes to safe sex, the authorities need to decide between whether it would actually tempt the kids to have sex or be beneficial in preventing the already occurring unsafe sex. That needs to be evaluated according to the circumstances prevailing in each society. Thus, all these questions need to be kept in mind before deciding the ideal age to educate school students about sex.