Psychologists see the move as long overdue. “Age-appropriate sex education supports emotional growth and self-esteem,” said psychiatrist Dr Vishal Akula, explaining that knowledge reduces anxiety, shame, and secrecy around normal development.
HYDERABAD: Ask any teenager where they first learned about sex, and few will say “school.” Even when they do, it is rarely through the right curriculum or a trained teacher. In Hyderabad as well as across India, such lessons are often reduced to a chapter hurried through or skipped altogether when students start to giggle. It is this silence that the Supreme Court now wants states to break by introducing sex education at younger ages.
Earlier this week, the court observed that lessons on sexuality and consent should begin before Class IX and called for age-appropriate education focusing on safety and awareness rather than anatomy alone. The observation, made while hearing a Pocso case involving a juvenile, urged governments to review what children are taught and when. Officials in Telangana said it may take a few months before new modules reach all schools.
Psychologists see the move as long overdue. “Age-appropriate sex education supports emotional growth and self-esteem,” said psychiatrist Dr Vishal Akula, explaining that knowledge reduces anxiety, shame, and secrecy around normal development. He described it as mental health education as much as biological awareness. “When schools teach feelings, communication, and respect, children grow up more resilient and less vulnerable to harm.”
Gender experts agree that lessons cannot stop at biology. Hyderabad-based performer and educator Patruni Chidananda Sastry said earlier models barely addressed gender or consent. “We were taught about good touch and bad touch, but never about identity or respect,” they said. They recalled how many schools still treat sexuality sessions as box-ticking exercises. “If teachers are embarrassed, students inherit that discomfort.”
Parents in the city also appear open to change. While not all fully grasp its importance, Venkat Sainath of the Hyderabad School Parents Association said families often avoid such conversations. “Parents switch off the television at the sight of intimacy, turning curiosity into secrecy. Children should learn what’s right and wrong from school before social media teaches them the wrong way,” he said, adding that “parents need as much guidance as teachers.”
Child rights advocates view this as a chance to rebuild trust between schools and homes. “Many children face harassment without realising what it is,” said E. Raghunandan of Balala Hakkula Sangham. He urged parents to spend time explaining right and wrong instead of leaving the task to teachers alone.
The Court’s observation, though not a directive, has reopened a conversation long delayed. What would a generation look like if classrooms spoke of consent, kindness, and safety as naturally as equations and grammar? The answers may take time, but for once, the silence inside India’s classrooms is being questioned.
