John J. Kennedy | Why Our Schools Need To Start Sex Education Sooner, Rather Than Later

The Supreme Court's recent call to introduce sex education from a younger age, rather than waiting until Class 9, is a long-overdue step towards addressing one of India’s most persistent social foibles. For decades, we have been treating the subject of sex and sexuality with discomfort, silence or outright hostility in our schools. Research shows that early, age-appropriate and scientifically grounded sex education does not corrupt young minds, but protects them.

The opposition to early sex education in India has always been fierce, rooted mainly in notions of cultural sanctity and moral purity. For instance, since early in the 21st century, when the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) was launched, states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have either withdrawn or diluted it, claiming it was “against Indian culture” or “a Western import”. In addition, religious and political groups, from the RSS to sections of the clergy across faiths, have accused it of promoting promiscuity and undermining traditional values. In 2009, a parliamentary committee led by M. Venkaiah Naidu even declared that sex education “pollutes young minds”. Consequently, it has left generations of Indian students with little more than hushed gossip, myths and Internet misinformation as their only sources of sexual knowledge. What makes the Supreme Court’s directive significant is that it challenges this long-standing inertia. By recommending early introduction, the apex court is not merely suggesting a curriculum reform but also acknowledging a public health crisis. India records some of the highest rates of child sexual abuse and adolescent sexual violence globally. Ignoring these realities in the name of cultural modesty has not helped. On the contrary, it has endangered children. Global and Indian studies alike show that schools that implement comprehensive sex education witness dramatic declines in sexual and physical violence, and a reduction in physical and psychological abuse.

Of course, the timing of sex education matters profoundly. A 2023 meta-analysis found that programmes initiated in late elementary or early middle school, and continuing through adolescence, yield the most positive results. These students not only demonstrate better understanding of consent, puberty and reproductive health but also show delayed sexual initiation, fewer teenage pregnancies and reduced sexually transmitted infections. When such programmes are offered later, many adolescents have already encountered confusing or distorted sexual information online or from their peers.

Introducing education earlier, therefore, could build a foundation of respect, awareness and safety long before risky behaviours or misunderstandings can take root.

The fear that such education encourages early sexual activity has been thoroughly disproven.

Systematic reviews from the CDC and Unesco show the opposite: early, developmentally appropriate sex education actually delays sexual debut and fosters more conservative attitudes toward relationships. It equips young people to make informed, respectful decisions about their bodies and boundaries. In fact, one of the strongest findings from all international research is that sex education not only reduces sexual violence but also strengthens values of consent, empathy and mutual respect, precisely the moral qualities many opponents claim to defend.

To understand why early introduction is critical in India, one must examine the environment in which children grow up. Conversations about sex remain shrouded in shame and secrecy. Parents rarely broach the subject, teachers are often uncomfortable or untrained, and social norms equate sexual awareness with moral corruption. The result is an epidemic of ignorance. When children don’t learn about body autonomy or consent, they become easy targets for abuse. Studies show that children who receive early preventive education are 3.5 times more likely to disclose abuse and seek help. This underscores the life-saving potential of what the Supreme Court is now advocating.

In countries as diverse as Ireland, China, Kenya and Indonesia, early sex education has reduced rape myths, improved self-protection, and increased abuse reporting. These are not Western luxuries but universal human rights gains. India's reality, we must accept, makes this even more urgent. Child abuse, rape myths and everyday harassment persist not from overexposure to sex but from ignorance. There’s also a developmental case. Pre-teen years shape ethical and social reasoning. Teaching students in Classes 4 to 8 about privacy, respect, and healthy relationships helps them internalise these values before stereotypes and peer pressure influence them. Waiting until adolescence, when curiosity peaks, makes education reactive rather than preventive. The global evidence suggests that age-appropriate lessons that evolve with children’s growth are most effective in fostering lifelong respect and responsibility. Unfortunately, the belief that talking about sex leads to moral decay runs deep in India. For many parents and teachers, the discomfort stems from unfamiliarity — they themselves never received such education. Reform, therefore, must be comprehensive — combining teacher training, community engagement and curriculum redesign. The content should reflect Indian values of respect, dignity and self-control while remaining scientifically accurate. Let’s remember that this isn’t about adopting Western models but building an Indian framework for holistic and inclusive education.

I believe the Supreme Court’s intervention offers a rare chance to reset the conversation. It reinforces what experts and child rights advocates have long argued: the earlier children learn about their bodies, boundaries and rights, the safer they become. Policymakers have the evidence, the responsibility and the legal impetus to act. The question is not whether India can afford early sex education, but if it can afford the cost of delay. Silence has claimed many lives and childhoods. Starting early could really help transform fear into understanding, stigma into empathy, and silence into safety, recasting sex education from a cultural taboo into a safeguard of dignity and protection.

The writer is retired professor and former dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Christ University in Bengaluru