A network of concerned citizens recently organised an informal discussion with school leaders as a response to charges of sexual abuse against teachers at Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidyalaya (LMV). While the prevalence of sexual abuse is not new, the investigation of the LMV case by this paper exposed the depth and magnitude of the problem. It also revealed that the school did not have any formal mechanism in place to address the issue in a fair and sensitive way. Clearly, there is a dire need for schools to strengthen policies in order to protect and safeguard children.

Intricate connections

Apart from school leaders, various stakeholders were present at the Chhaya Center meeting, including psychologists and consultants. Everyone made opening remarks and expressed concerns. Since I was the last person to speak, I read aloud a list of keywords and phrases I had jotted down while listening: range of abuse, unions and politics, patriarchy and dominant culture, silencing and shame, superficial versus in-depth handling, boys and bullying, sexual minorities, sex education and counseling, speaking and listening skills, young generation, and social media, etc.

Even though the primary agenda was ‘the need to address sexual abuse in schools’, the organic responses of the participants clarified the interconnectedness and intricacies of these themes. Unsurprisingly, each brought up a slightly different aspect based on professional and personal conditioning. Someone emphasised the need to address all forms of harassment and between all kinds of people. The speakers reiterated the need to orient and reorient teachers regularly and rigorously. A school counselor introduced the term ‘safer schools’ as opposed to ‘safe schools’, encouraging us to consider this an ongoing and never-ending process. She also urged us to think about emotional safety, not just physical safety, another concept that gets very little attention inside our classrooms.

Another counselor spoke about the need for safe spaces at home and the importance of including parents in the conversation. She described how parents often have a difficult time accepting when their children get abused. On that note, a principal related an incident when a group of parents was adamant about snuffing out a similar incident of abuse in order to protect the school’s reputation, and, as an extension, their own. Fortunately, the principal had taken a strong stance, eventually compelling the accused teachers to leave the school.

Schools and society

In mid-2017, a report titled ‘Comprehensive Sexuality Education: The Way Forward’ was produced by LOOM, a non-profit ‘feminist space’ and Yuwa, a youth-led organisation. According to the report, the Nepal government mandates secondary school students to study ‘sexuality education’ only in the context of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). In other words, the content is driven by a ‘health’ perspective rather than a ‘rights’ and ‘information’ perspective. Topics such as anatomy and abortion receive brief mentions. The complex and diverse arena of human sexuality is superficially taught by teachers who are either under-qualified or uncomfortable.

The SRHR approach to education is quite different from Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), a term adopted by UNESCO as well as the International Planned Parenthood Federation that defines a rights-based approach in order to “equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they need to determine and enjoy their sexuality—physically and emotionally, individually and in relationships.” In fact, SRHR is only one of seven sub-categories of CSE. ‘Pleasure’ and ‘diversity’ are two of the other categories, supporting the notion that sexuality is an intrinsic component to our overall well-being. There need to be open, honest discussions between caregivers and children around this topic so that young minds can develop positive attitudes and values towards sex, which directly contribute to their sense of self and enjoyment in life.

Unfortunately, sex is still taboo in Nepali society. Gender-based violence is rampant and sexual minorities continue to struggle for respect and understanding. At the Chhaya meeting, a school director stated that when she invited other principals to attend the meeting, one of them declined with the excuse that the topic was “too sensitive for her”.

Next steps

School leaders can no longer make excuses and ignore the topic of ‘sexual abuse’ in particular and ‘sexuality education’ in general. A few years ago, the Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center (CWIN) prepared a National Child Protection Policy (NCPP), which outlines the protection of children in educational institutions as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other recognised international and national instruments. The Nepal government has agreed to implement this policy.

The government’s curricular wing also revises the curriculum once every five years. But proper implementation and monitoring is a widespread problem across all sectors in Nepal. According to NCPP, ignoring sexuality education and silencing complaints of sexual abuse is tantamount to neglect and violence when it comes to the welfare of children. Unfortunately, even ‘progressive’ private schools in Kathmandu have steered away from the topic, using “our Nepali culture” and “we don’t talk about these things” as convenient excuses.

Towards the end of the meeting, representatives from two schools with international affiliations described their processes and policies and agreed to share materials with other schools. This is a helpful first step. Since the topic is indeed complex, perhaps we all need to think of short-term and long-term goals. One idea would be to set up a committee of parents, teachers and school admins at the beginning of the upcoming school year to discuss preventive as well as response mechanisms. Since every school is different, a dialogue that engages the wider community is essential in order to understand root causes and interlinked tendencies. The committee could then set up a procedure to address issues as they surface. This kind of mechanism could also help with long-term goals that takes socio-political as well as psycho-emotional aspects into account, not to mention legal implications of crime and abuse. At the very least, educators ought to approach any issue with an open mind and be prepared, always, to change their own mindsets and continue to learn.

Kunwar can be reached at [email protected]