In Sri Lanka, pundits never get fed up reminding us the new subjects that ought to be included in the syllabi, from History to Disaster Management. Surprisingly none ever said the children should be educated about their own reproductive systems.
As students we all learnt about eyes, ears, digestive system, circulatory system, pulmonary system and what not, but some of the vital organs of the body were completely ignored as if they did not exist. These were rarely illustrated in Science text books in Sri Lanka. Even if they were illustrated, the science teachers hardly bothered to get into the subject saying no questions about them would be asked in the exams. (and exams are all what matter, isn’t it?)
In the developed countries sex education is treated as an integral part of the secondary education. Teenage girls learn the correct way to put a condom to a dummy penis. Sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy are widely discussed within the classroom. In Sri Lanka, teenage girls are punished for keeping the photographs of Shihan Mihiranga.
Why Sri Lankans never treat Sex education as vital? Perhaps George Orwell replies.
In ‘1984’, with the Big Brother watching your actions every minute, people are still allowed to have sex but only for the purpose of reproduction. Not for pleasure. That too should be done in front of cameras so that Big Brother can decide whether you cross the limits. Sounds familiar?
Mahinda Chinthana does not say anything about ‘Sex education’. (Neither does ‘Janatha Nyaya Patraya’ if you are curious!) If it says anything I am sure it would be like this.
(a) The traditional society of Sri Lanka (2,500 years old civilisation, if you have forgotten) does not believe in pre-martial sex and extra-marital sex. (Oral sex? What do you mean by oral sex?)
(b) Sex is okay but should only be consumed within limits, within marriage of course, for the sole reason of creating the next generation to take that 2,500 year old civilisation forward. (Consider yourself lucky because JHU still did not call to stop sex within the Wesak and Poson weeks)
(d) No need to teach fish to swim. So why teach youth how to copulate? If they know how to eat they know how to do it. Don’t worry.
So what about teen pregnancy, Sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, homosexuality etc? Don’t worry. None of these issues will arise when people have sex only within the marriage and within limits. Case closed.
So why bother to include sex education in curricula?
Lets teach them how king Dutugeminu built stupas in Anuradhapura, instead.
(This is the personal opinion of one of our regular writers. Lets discuss.)