By D.G. Sugathapala
The issue of sexual violence in the education sector has been gathering momentum and the incidents of sexual violence have been increasing in leaps and bounds. It has steadily moved up in the agenda of administrators, law enforcement authorities, child protection agencies and civil rights organisations.
With this in view President of the Trade Union Congress of Doctors for Civil Rights, Medical Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa stressed the need to eliminate the restrictions on sex education and to provide opportunities to gain know-how through curricular and extra–curricular education which would help to live in the wider society sans sexual violence.
Lack of knowledge
Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa pointed out that school children fall prey to sexual predators due to lack of knowledge to distinguish between romantic love and the sex urge. He pointed out that they should be equipped with standards to steer clear of sexual harassment.
“A 15 year old schoolgirl has been raped reently by her lover and two of his friends. They were arrested by Akmeemana police. The schoolgirl had fallen in love with a young man whom she met about a week before the incident. She had sneaked out from home when her grandmother was fast asleep and met her lover who took her on a bicycle to an abandoned house where he raped her. He had allowed two of his friends to do the same. “In another incident a 14 year old schoolgirl has been raped by her 50 year old English teacher. The teacher was arrested by the police and remanded. In a startling incident two elderly men of 63 and 72 years of age were arrested by Kosgoda police on May 21, for the alleged sexual abuse of a ten year old boy and his eight year old sister,” He added.
Rate of sexual violence on the rise
The rate of male victims of sexual violence, just as that of the opposite sex, has been increasing in alarming proportions and both male and female students are susceptible to sex violence. The former chairman of the Child Protection Authority has said that more male students experience sexual violence when compared to their female counterparts. This issue should not be left unaddressed. The glaring consequence of sexual violence is that the vicims suffer not only physical damage but psychological damage as well,” he further said.
He proposed that the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Attorney General’s Department, trade unions and civil society organisations should put their heads together and work out an effective plan to provide opportunities for sex education in schools.
Incest a serious issue
Southern Provice Deputy Director of Education Chitra Bamunusinghe said the proposal to provide sex education is a welcome move. She pointed out that incest is another serious issue and that the villains are often the closest relatives of the family. Children who are not mature enough fall prey to incest through ignorance or fear for elders. “I have participated in several programmes targetting sex education in schools. A child attaining adolescence experiences change of his body and feelings which result in curiocity. Sex education is intended to create awareness of it. He or she should not be allowed to act according to their own free will. They should be educated on this change experienced by him. It could be just an extension to the Health and Physiology subject.”
“A child may be addicted to abusive activities when he or she reaches adolescence. Our age old cultural norms and traditional values result in hiding facts about sexual relations through shame. A child could be easily lured to sexual abuse during the time of hormone formation in the body. He or she should be educated on it and it could be addressed only through sex education. Children of broken families and those left to the care of grandparents or relatives when the parents are employed abroad are of a high risk group exposed to this danger,” The deputy director of education said.
Available in other countries
Deputy Inspector General Galle Division Jagath Saram who stressed the need of sex education pointed out that children should be educated on physical changes due to hormone formation. He pointed out that opportunities for sex education are available in other countries. The DIG said Incidents of elders abusing underage children are reported quite often. The need for sex education to address this issue has been long over due.
The Chief Judicial Medical Officer of Karapitiya teaching hosptial Rohan Ruwanpura said it is imperative that sex education is included in the school curricular to save children from the risk of sexual violence.
Protests by monks
“A book was compiled to provide sex education to children, but it was brushed under the carpet due to protests by Buddhist monks. Sex education is a part of biology. Religion should not be used to prevent the teaching of science. Rape of underage girls has been increasing in alarming proportions every year. Female and male students are both susceptible to sexual violence and it is a serious issue that should not be left unaddressed.”
“ In Sri Lanka an individual under 18 years of age is considered a child, but the minimum age limit for marriage is 16 years in case of a girl. However, they are quite ignorant of what pregnancy is, and how to prevent unintended pregnancies. Opportunity for sex education is available to children in developed countries. But in Sri Lanka it has been obstructed by religious dogma and age old traditions. If engaging in sex activities is permissible at the age of sixteen, it is imperative that sex education is included in the school curricular,” He said.
Professor in Forensic Medicine at the Karapitiya Medical Faculty Prof. U.C.P. Perera said much has been talked and written about this subject, and sex education should be available to schoolchildren from Grade six up to GCE ordinary level.
“They are sensitive to physical and psychological changes happening at adolescence, and unless they are educated about why this happens, they would be susceptible to sexual abuse. Parents are not in a position to explain these matters to their children. An effective plan should be worked out to implement sex education from 2026, and the Ministry of Education should focus attention on it. We are prepared to extend scientific cooperation.”
“Addressing the ceremony to sign an MOU between Karapitiya to establish a Video Recording Unit to record evidence of child abuse four years ago, the Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority Senior Prof. Udaya Kumara said 5000-6000 child abuse cases were pending in the High Courts in addition to those pending in magistrate courts.”
“ The villains in incidents of sexual violence are those well known to the victims. However, children are liable to forget evidence in a short time. This could be addressed by video recording of their evidence. UNICEF has helped this project.” Vice Chancellor of the Ruhunu University Prof. Sujeewa Amarasena stressed that sex education should be made compulsory in schools. He said the decision to implement it had been given up due to interference of religious dignitaries and civil society organisations.
“Sex education would be largely instrumental in saving children from sexual violence,” he said. He further said that Child Protection Committees should be formed in schools and that about 3000 schools already have Child Protection Committees implementing programmes to alleviate economic constrains affecting children from low income families.