POINT TO PONDER: “Let’s Talk About Birds and Bees — But Only After the Damage Is Done”

If we keep waiting to tell our kids the truth about their own bodies, we might as well wait till courtrooms do it for us.

Peerzada Masarat Shah

In a country where talking about menstruation still sends parents into a panic and words like “sex education” are whispered as if they’re nuclear codes, the Supreme Court has now done the unthinkable — it has stated the obvious. The apex court, in a recent judgment, observed that sex education should be provided to children from a younger age, not from Class IX onwards as currently practiced.

The court’s comment came while hearing a case involving a 15-year-old boy accused under Sections 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. The bench, while granting bail, noted that children must be made aware of the physical and emotional changes that come with puberty — and the precautions and responsibilities that follow.

In other words, the Supreme Court said what most educators and psychologists have been saying for decades: ignorance is not innocence.

But, of course, in a society that still blushes at sanitary pads and believes “sex education” means “teaching kids how to do it,” the judgment feels like a revolutionary act. Because in India, we prefer to pretend children are born with an in-built moral compass that somehow activates right after they commit their first legal blunder.

A Reality Check No One Asked For

Let’s be honest — by the time schools start their “Adolescence Education Programme” in Class IX, most students already know more about sex from social media, half-truths, and locker-room gossip than any textbook could possibly teach. Unfortunately, what they don’t know is the difference between consent and coercion, respect and entitlement, curiosity and crime.

That’s where early sex education should come in — not as an embarrassment-inducing subject, but as a life skill. Children need to understand what’s happening to their bodies, what’s acceptable behavior, and how to respect boundaries — both their own and others’.

But instead of honest conversations, what do we offer them?
Awkward biology teachers mumbling “reproductive system” while skipping diagrams, parents who think Google is corrupting their children, and a culture where “talking about it” is somehow worse than “doing it wrong.”

The Irony of the ‘Values First’ Argument

Critics often argue that sex education will “spoil children” or “destroy our values.” Well, let’s take a look around — teenage pregnancies, child sexual abuse, rising cases under POCSO — if silence is our version of “values,” then clearly, it’s not working.

The Supreme Court, in its observation, indirectly pointed to this hypocrisy. It reminded policymakers that children deserve knowledge before judgment. The bench emphasized that it’s the responsibility of educational authorities to introduce children, in an age-appropriate manner, to the biological and emotional realities of growing up.

Because pretending that kids don’t know about sex until the school says so is like pretending they don’t understand violence until they see a war movie.

When Ignorance Becomes a Crime

The case that prompted this remark by the Supreme Court involved a 15-year-old — a child, legally and emotionally. It’s not the first time courts have seen cases where youthful curiosity meets ignorance and turns tragic. And yet, every time, the conversation stops at punishment — never prevention.

The bench’s statement is a reminder that education, not fear, is the answer. If we can teach children algebra, trigonometry, and Sanskrit slokas before they hit their teens, surely we can teach them about consent, respect, and bodily autonomy.

Time to Grow Up

The truth is, India needs to grow up — literally and figuratively. We can’t keep covering our children’s ears and eyes, hoping that modesty will magically save them from misinformation and misconduct.

Sex education isn’t about corrupting young minds; it’s about protecting them — from abuse, from confusion, and from making mistakes that could destroy their lives.

So yes, the Supreme Court has said it — and in doing so, it’s handed a mirror to the nation. Now, whether we choose to look into it or continue hiding behind our moral curtains, that’s entirely up to us.

Because if we keep waiting till Class IX to tell our kids the truth about their own bodies, we might as well wait till courtrooms do it for us.

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