Include sex education in religious curriculum: church body

The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India, the apex body of the Catholic Church in the country, indicated that individual dioceses were free to take up sex education as part of their catechism (religious teaching) or Sunday school curriculum, reports Mugdha Variyar.

The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI), the apex body of the Catholic Church in the country, indicated that individual dioceses were free to take up sex education as part of their catechism (religious teaching) or Sunday school curriculum.

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The Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar church in Kerala has been imparting sex education to students in the age group of 13 to 15 years as part of its Sunday schooling since June last year.

“The course seeks to create a positive meaning of sex among the youth so they become responsible,” said Father Paul Thalakat, spokesperson of the church.

The CBCI has said that other Catholic communities in the country could include sex education in their religious curriculum too.

“The aim is to create awareness among the youth about responsible sexual behaviour,” said Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the CBCI. “Though no other church officials have approached us, they are free to do go ahead with it.”

On Monday, the Catholic Secular Forum, a city-based organisation, sent a memorandum to the human resource development to make sex education compulsory.

“The recent attacks on women shows that it is mainly an attitudinal problem that can be addressed through proper education,” said Joseph Dias, general secretary.

“We have asked CBCI to issue an advisory to churches so as to bring sex education in 15,000 institutions across India.”