They demanded action against “such books” and also opposed the state government’s own efforts to introduce sex education. Though the minister circulated a written reply, they were not satisfied, so the minister made the announcement.

Many MLAs, from both sides, had rushed to the well of the House to demand immediate action, creating a din that prompted the Speaker to adjourn the Assembly for 30 minutes. The minister then announced the ban on the CBSE book and assured members the state itself won’t introduce sex education in schools following the state syllabus.

The controversy began, across many parts of the country, actually, after the Centre sent out a circular for immediate implementation of the Adolescent Education Programme (AEP) in all CBSE and state-syllabus schools. The uproar is over the handbooks, the flip-charts, and fact sheets, which are in fact meant for teachers, sent out as part of the programme.

One of the handbooks, for instance, instructs teachers in developing lectures on physical changes during adolescence, conception, sex, sexuality and gender, and so forth. It also asks teachers to encourage all students to speak out the names of sex organs and parts of the human reproductive system so that no one is shy in discussing matters related to sex. Then there are lists of essay topics, like “If there were no condoms...” and “If there were no clothes...” “I have seen those books on sex education and they are not suitable for anybody,” said Arundhati Chavan, chairperson, Parent-Teacher Association United Forum. “Though sex education is important enough to be taught in schools, it should be done according to the level of the child. It can be done in a couple of sessions of what to do and what not to do. They need not get into such explicit details of physiology.”

... contd.