The Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) has called on the ministries of Education and Health to embrace the teaching of comprehensive sexual and health and family life education in schools, noting that this is often overlooked and left out of the curriculum in many local schools.
Adding its voice to the wave of condemnation of the Guyana Chronicle over publication of images of teenagers engaged in a sexual act, the GNYC said it was disappointed since this was in contravention of the principles enshrined in the Protection of Children Act. However, it said, rather than condemn the young people, it was important to take cognisance of the fact that their actions reflected the realities of a hyper-sexualised society.
The Protection of Children Act (2009) states that the most important consideration in relation to children is their best interests. “This means that parents, guardians, teachers, other adults, the government, the court and any other body or entity have to make sure that [their] best interests are considered when they make any decision,” the council said in a press release. As a result, it condemned the publication of images from a video of pornographic nature, which added to the social media frenzy the video generated.
At the same time, the council stated, in many ways, the whole society is culpable. It said that while voices have been raised condemning the actions of the youth, the society has failed to properly educate and respond to the realities of a culture that “not only objectifies women but also unintentionally grooms girls to see themselves as sexual objects for the gratification of men[.] [W]here young girls are pursued even more commonly by their own teachers, verbally harassed by random men on the street and even [by] those entrusted with their safety and security [at] an institutional level.”
In addition, the typical journey for most young people to and from school involves listening to sexually explicit and vulgar lyrics played at high volumes in public minibuses, the release noted. This is further exacerbated by the same type of music blasted from push carts down the city streets, played in taxis and on radio and television programmes most popular with youth. “All of this against a backdrop of profound silence, at moments when a joint solidarity effort is needed,” the group said.
Pointing to statistics published by the Ministry of Health which revealed that many youth are engaged in sexual activity, the GNYC noted, “We are also aware that the age for sexual debut is becoming lower.” Steps must be taken, it added, to ensure that young people have access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information and services.
“This has been proven to help children and young people make informed and healthy sexual decisions,” the council said.
The recording and sharing of the video made it clear that the youth involved lacked the critical thinking skills and foresight about the personal and far reaching consequences of their actions, it added.
While the council is satisfied with the approach taken by the Ministry of Education in dealing with the issue and providing support to the students, more ways should be explored to ensure that there is no reoccurrence. The council would also like to see concerted efforts to provide appropriate and accurate sex education intervention programmes which engage both students and parents and consideration being given to providing in-school counsellors to help students deal with the challenges they face at this impressionable age. The council stands ready to assist with the design, revision or implementation of any measure that will address these issues.
