President's message on sex education was spot-on
Mar 15, 2012
During the celebrations to mark this year’s Women’s Day in Nebbi district, President Yoweri Museveni came out with a very strong message on sex education in schools – `be careful with some of the sex messages aimed at children in schools’.
Lindah Wamboka, President’s Office
During the celebrations to mark this year’s Women’s Day in Nebbi district, President Yoweri Museveni came out with a very strong message on sex education in schools – `be careful with some of the sex messages aimed at children in schools’.
It is quite ironical that people who promote sex education in schools don’t realise teachers and the school environment are some of the biggest abusers of these children. Statistics show that teachers and head-teachers rank highly in sexual abuse in schools.
Unfortunately, parents have relegated their duties and responsibilities to the teachers who have in turn exploited this weakness to their advantage with impunity.
The Government, for example, introduced the Universal Primary and Secondary Education that has ensured that the girl child has an opportunity to go to school. Before UPE, the enrollment for girls in primary schools was 24.6%, now it stands at 49.9%.
But there is a reported 20% drop-out rate for girls at primary and secondary school levels with early marriages accounting for 25%, teenage pregnancies, HIV AIDS. Most of this happens in schools or around schools.
A condom won’t stop an early marriage, especially where a child comes from a poor family, but an informed parent or guardian can protect a child from an early marriage if he or she had the right information about the dangers it can cause to that child. Women who are educated and have excelled and are helping their parents can act as role models to these families.
Our immediate families and communities are also increasingly growing aloof and ignoring some of the responsibilities that used to protect generations since time immemorial. Where a child would approach an aunt or uncle for help, some of these relatives have turned out to abuse the trust of these very children.
The community which used to own children collectively now look-on as teenagers blow away on drugs, sex and obscene behaviour in public, sometimes becoming dangers to the community itself.
Coupled with this, the unregulated access to pornography; locally grown in our societies, promoted on our radio and television stations and imported from foreign countries and drugs have made our children even more vulnerable to abuse.
President’s message on sex education was spot-on
During the celebrations to mark this year’s Women’s Day in Nebbi district, President Yoweri Museveni came out with a very strong message on sex education in schools – `be careful with some of the sex messages aimed at children in schools’.
It is quite ironical that people who promote sex education in schools don’t realise teachers and the school environment are some of the biggest abusers of these children. Statistics show that teachers and head-teachers rank highly in sexual abuse in schools.
Unfortunately, parents have relegated their duties and responsibilities to the teachers who have in turn exploited this weakness to their advantage with impunity.
The Government, for example, introduced the Universal Primary and Secondary Education that has ensured that the girl child has an opportunity to go to school. Before UPE, the enrollment for girls in primary schools was 24.6%, now it stands at 49.9%.
But there is a reported 20% drop-out rate for girls at primary and secondary school levels with early marriages accounting for 25%, teenage pregnancies, HIV AIDS. Most of this happens in schools or around schools.
A condom won’t stop an early marriage, especially where a child comes from a poor family, but an informed parent or guardian can protect a child from an early marriage if he or she had the right information about the dangers it can cause to that child. Women who are educated and have excelled and are helping their parents can act as role models to these families.
Our immediate families and communities are also increasingly growing aloof and ignoring some of the responsibilities that used to protect generations since time immemorial. Where a child would approach an aunt or uncle for help, some of these relatives have turned out to abuse the trust of these very children.
The community which used to own children collectively now look-on as teenagers blow away on drugs, sex and obscene behaviour in public, sometimes becoming dangers to the community itself.
Coupled with this, the unregulated access to pornography; locally grown in our societies, promoted on our radio and television stations and imported from foreign countries and drugs have made our children even more vulnerable to abuse.