A new video report from CNN’s Arwa Damon shows a pilot project in Jakarta, Indonesia that has kindergartners learning about the birds and the bees in an uncharacteristically liberal way.
Considering that Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, the sex ed teachings are decidedly unconventional — even by most North American standards.
Using anatomically correct male and female dolls, teachers help children learn the correct names for body parts, explain differences between male and female anatomy, and answer the age old question “where do babies come from”.
Spearheaded by the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association and The World Population Fund in 2006, the program is targeting such a young demographic to help young children gain a level of comfort with their own bodies and others’, and understand when they are at risk from a sexual predator. The program tells kids specifically how to identify inappropriate touching, and gives them tools for deal with unwanted physical contact. Sexual intercourse is not covered in the program at all.
Teacher Masam admits she was uncomfortable with the program until she realized the benefits. In the video she asks students, “What part of our body should not be touched by someone else?” and “If I grab you from behind and touch your belly button, what do you say?” The children respond confidently to these questions, obviously wielding the knowledge and tools they’ve been taught.
While the long-term results of the program are not clear yet, one program leader states that the lessons are paying off. “We’re seeing students respecting their bodies. The girls have more courage to speak to the boys, to bluntly tell them when there is something they don’t like.”
What do you think about sexual education for kindergartners? Do you think programs like this one could help guard kids from predators and empower them to speak out against unwanted physical contact? Or is kindergarten-age simply too young to start teaching kids about sex?
Watch the full video report on CNN.
(Source CNN)
