The Parliamentary Caucus for Children has decided to commence a programme to provide Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to students from preschool until Grade 13 from next month.
Fourteen books focusing on pre-school children as well as students of other grades are currently being prepared by the National Institute of Education to provide CSE.
Physicians and the officials of the Ministries of Child and Women Affairs as well as Health are backing the move. The contents of the books prepared will differ based on the grade. These books are given as additional reading books, said the Chairperson of the Caucus, MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, to ‘Aruna’ yesterday (16).
She said that since it is difficult to print books for all children at once, students will be given the opportunity to read the book online first. She said the assistance will be obtained from non-governmental organisations to print the books.
The MP said that a discussion will be held in Parliament next week regarding the progress of preparing the syllabus and a specific date for commencing the programme will be decided based on that progress.
The chairperson also said that the main reason for child abuse is the society’s lack of knowledge on CSE.
In 2019, the attempts to introduce ‘Hathe Ape Potha’ book to provide Sexual Education to seventh grade students were abandoned due to objections received from several sections of the society.
(Aruna)
