Kindergarten school children in parts of Indonesia are being taught sex education
Kindergarten school children in parts of Indonesia are being taught sex education lessons in a bid to warn them of the dangers of sexual abuse, but the move is being criticized by some within the country.
Teachers armed with dolls in a handful of schools are tackling a previously taboo subject in the world’s largest Muslim country.
The lessons are part of a pilot program that started back in 2006 which is a joint effort between the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association and The World Population Fund.
The program aims to break social taboos in Indonesian culture, but most importantly, to let children know when they are being approached by a sexual predator, according to Lucy Henry from the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association.
However, the program has had its fair share of controversy.
“Our early days were filled with people protesting,” Henry told CNN.
“They resisted because they didn’t know what kind of a program this is, there was even a case when they threatened our teacher with knives.”
There are no accurate statistics on sexual harassment in the country, but children from poorer areas who tend to roam the streets are easier victims according to Henry.
However, Henry said the lessons are paying off.
“We’re seeing students respecting their bodies and the girls have more courage to speak to the boys and to bluntly tell them if there’s something they don’t like,” Henry said.
