Starting 2016, civic schools in the city will start sex education for students of Class 9 as part of their curriculum. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct the course with the help of the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS). The module has been introduced following a point of order raised by Shiv Sena corporator Sheetal Mhatre in the education committee meeting of the civic body. The civic administration will soon prepare a detailed plan that will be presented to the education committee of the civic body.

The module will help create awareness among adolescents about HIV, AIDS and other sexually contracted diseases. The module will also include issues related to menstruation, changes experienced during puberty and aspects related to family planning.

“I came across many stories of girls becoming pregnant at the age of 13 and 14 in the city. Most of these girls are also from economically backward sections of the society. Children in their mid-teens are very impressionable and need to be educated about sex before they step into college. Though BMC had initiated the module four years back, it was discontinued owing to some reasons, the schools are now going to revise it,” said Mhatre, a corporator from Dahisar.

In her point of order, Mhatre also said that children get information from the internet and Facebook, which can prove to be harmful. The civic schools should instead take responsibility for educating the children.

The module will be taught by medical practitioners from the civic-run hospitals who have already undergone training to teach the children. The administration is still mulling over the duration of the sessions, which will either be held once a week or once a month.

tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com

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