Africa-Press – Uganda. This week, the High Court in Kampala directed the Education Ministry to develop and implement a comprehensive sexuality education policy for school learners ending a 10-year wait (Daily Monitor, November 18, “Court orders teaching of sexuality education”).
In 2016 Parliament issued a resolution directing the Ministry of Education to ban the teaching of sexuality education in schools on grounds that it promoted values, practices and behaviours that are against Ugandan customs and aspirations.
While the debate still rages on as to whether sexuality education should be taught in schools or not, we cannot ignore the fact that parents should still be the primary source of information for their children especially on crucial issues
such as these or at least ensure that the rightful information is availed.
So even as the Ministry develops and implements the policy as directed by the court, parents need to step up and be available to provide age-appropriate, timely, useful, and correct information to their children rather than shy away from these rather difficult conversations expecting the schools to do all the work.
Thanks to the rise in technology and accessible internet, information whether false, true, appropriate or otherwise can be accessed by anyone, anywhere at a click of a button. If we don’t talk to, guide, and help shape our children’s principles and life views, someone on the internet or movies or even in the neighbourhood whose motives are usually not in good faith will.
Needless to say, when young people are equipped with the right information, they have a better chance of making better decisions, in this case, in regard to their sexuality. It also goes a long way in the fight against sexual abuse, HIV/Aids, Hepatitis B and early pregnancy.
The spike in teenage pregnancies during the recent Covid-19 induced lockdowns only amplified how much work parents and guardians need to do to bring about behavioural change among young people but also equip them to make better life choices.
This obviously demands concerted effort from other stakeholders such as schools, religious institutions, etc, but parents and guardians have a key part to play in this and should therefore not relegate their role to others. Aft er all, charity really does begin from home.
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