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Linking Young Minds Together
      Volume 6 | Issue 11 | March 18, 2012 |


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Opinion

Come Out of The Shell

Kohinur Khyum Tithila

“Don't you know? There is no chance of getting pregnant in the first time”

These words did not come out from the mouth of a school going girl, but an undergraduate student of a reputed university who believes that a girl cannot get pregnant the first time she has sex. As sex education is completely absent in mainstream education curriculum and discussions in almost every family, it is not unusual that this sort of misconception still exists. Sex education and gender studies are probably the most urgent topics that need to be included in school curriculum. Myths and misconceptions regarding sex and gender can be dispelled through discussions and discourse.


Source: Internet

Sex is not something from which we can turn away. But even educated families of Bangladesh shy away from talking about this issue. As this subject is completely a taboo topic to discuss at homes, including it in school curriculum can be a way out for students. Sex education is no less important than Social Science, Math, Biology and other subjects. Albeit government has taken an initiative to include sex education, reproduction health and gender studies in unprivileged schools, a separate contextual text book on personal health related issues should be made compulsory in all schools. Through this, students will be more aware of sexual transmitted diseases (STDs), family planning and safe sex. Another common misconception in less educated people is that the mother of the child is responsible for the gender of her child. Many women become victim of domestic violence for giving birth to a female child. This is the result of not knowing the actual scientific reason. If the actual scientific facts get included in school curriculum, this fallacious notion will be eradicated. Another fallacy that most of the people have is that man should be in the charge of sexual intercourse and woman has no role other than pleasing the man. Sex education can make woman vocal about their sexual rights. Still today, even many educated women have no idea about Marital Rape. Even the husband cannot force his wife into having sex, because it is a violation of one's sexual right.

 
 
Source: Internet

When boys and girls come of age, they go through a lot of physical, psychological and emotional changes. Several misconceptions about opposite and also one's own gender, get ingrained in mind at puberty. Gender studies definitely will help them to deal with these changes and eradicate those misconceptions. Knowledge of the most basic physical change like menstruation is not important only for female students, but males as well. Gender biased crimes like eve teasing and domestic violence are the result of these misconceptions. Enforcing strict laws against these crimes are not enough. The mind-set of objectifying women is the root cause of these sorts of crimes. This mind-set can be dispelled through gender studies. In a nutshell, sex and gender studies can reduce the risk of STD s and gender biased crimes, correct the thoughts of reproduction system, birth contraceptive and safe sexual behaviors and dispel the misconceptions about sexuality and gender.

At the outset, many parents and teachers might go in defiance of including sex and gender studies in school curriculum, as these issues are new and sensitive. Firstly, a well-designed and properly structured text book should be introduced. A single and superficial chapter is not enough. A separate subject on sex and gender unlike math, biology or religious studies should be included in school curriculum. Educators should be trained appropriately on how to teach this course. In a conservative country like Bangladesh, it will take time to establish sex education. Students and teachers might feel embarrassed in the classroom at the beginning. Change cannot happen overnight. However, government should make it compulsory and then everybody has to adept with it. To keep pace with the progressive world, sex education and gender studies need to be included in our school curriculum.

(The writer is a student of English Literature at East West University.)


DID YOU KNOW?

Adam Noah Levine

 

Musician and singer/songwriter Adam Levine was born in Los Angeles to Patsy Noah and Fred Levine on March 18, 1979. His uncle is journalist and author Timothy Noah. He has a brother, Michael, and a sister, Julia Milne. When he was six, he made the winning shot of his local YMCA championship basketball game (on a team his father coached) with no time left on the clock. He has said that the incident changed his life and gave him the confidence to be successful. Levine attended French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts Camp (Hancock, NY) with best friend Jesse Carmichael, guitar player of the band known at that time as Kara's Flowers. He graduated from Brentwood School in 1997. Levine has Jewish ancestry on both sides of his family (his father and maternal grandfather were Jewish), and considers himself Jewish, though according to The Jewish Chronicle, who interviewed Levine, he "has rejected formal religious practice for a more generalized, spiritual way of life". He chose not to have a Bar Mitzvah as a child. Having met at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, the band released their first album entitled The Fourth World in 1997 as high school seniors. That same year the band appeared on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. The album had little success, and its only single, "Soap Disco", failed commercially. Disappointed with the results of their album, the band members went their separate ways. Levine worked a two-week stint as a waiter at Johnny Rockets. After dropping out of Five Towns College, Levine and Jesse reunited with Mickey and Ryan, but added former Square guitarist, James Valentine in 2001. Renaming the band Maroon 5, Levine and his friends began to compile all of their new found musical influences into their music.

Information Source: Internet

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