UNB professor hopes to make her mark on sexual education in India
Published Tuesday August 5th, 2008
A New Brunswick researcher known for shaping the province's sexual education curriculum is hoping to make a similar impact in India.
Sandra Byers, a University of New Brunswick psychology professor, recently travelled to the South Asian country to begin work on a project aimed at teaching young people more about sexual health.
Her research in 2004 helped change how New Brunswick schools approach sex education and she said she hopes to use that experience in her work in India.
"What we do is survey parents, students and teachers about what they think of the current curriculum, when they think it should be taught, whether teachers are ready to teach it and what topics should be covered," Byers said.
"The research is more complex than that, but basically it gives an idea of where people stand on the issue, what's missing from the existing curriculum, and it helps establish recommendations for government policy."
India is experiencing a debate similar to one New Brunswickers had about sexual health education in 2004.
Byers threw herself into the debate then and said she plans to do the same in India.
"The federal government in India is attempting to implement a new sexual education program, but there's fierce debate about what to teach and when to teach it," Byers said.
"It's a similar situation as New Brunswick had, but worse, because in India they have one of the world's poorest sexual and reproductive-health records among adolescents."
India has a high number of teen pregnancies and one of the highest rates of untreated sexually transmitted infections among adolescents, Byers said.
There are also concerns in India about early marriage and sexual violence in relationships, she said.
"The adolescents in India receive little or no sexual education at school or at home and lack basic knowledge about a range of topics, which leaves them quite vulnerable to poor sexual health outcomes," Byers said.
"By adapting what we've done in New Brunswick, in terms of research, we may be able to help change that."
In 2004, the New Brunswick government tried to implement a new sexual education curriculum, but angry parents crowded education council meetings to protest the changes.
Byers, and fellow researchers at UNB, launched a project to survey parents, teachers and students and find out what the majority of people wanted.
"We needed to know if it was a vocal minority speaking out and what people really expected from the curriculum," Byers said.
"We conducted three anonymous surveys and came up with a list of recommendations for the government that were basically all implemented."
Her surveys found that only 45 percent of New Brunswick high school students were satisfied with the sexual education they received and, in some cases, their sexual experiences outdated what they were learning in school.
Student and parents also said they wanted teachers to delve into topics outside of the abstinence-based curriculum, such as teenage pregnancy, homosexuality and sexually transmitted illnesses.
"Because of those surveys, we were able to see that we were on track with the curriculum we were trying to implement," said Keith McAlpine, a health learning specialist with the education department.
"An overwhelming number of people supported a more comprehensive curriculum, which really helped quash the opposition we were getting from a vocal group."
Garth Wade, a health learning specialist for District 18, said human growth and development, or sexual health education, is now taught throughout the school system, thanks to Byers's research.
Students can opt out of the middle school section of the program, which teaches about topics ranging from puberty and reproductive systems to drug abuse, pregnancy and childbirth, but less than five percent of students choose to, Wade said.
"We're finding students feel more open to giving feedback, and very seldom do we receive complaints from parents," Wade said. "The previous curriculum wasn't as comprehensive and didn't begin as early. I think people are generally happier with the curriculum now."
Byers said the success of the research surveys in New Brunswick has led to the work she's doing now in India.
She and four other UNB researchers travelled to India last week to meet with five researchers from the Forum for Application of Integrated Total Health and the Aga Khan Health Services of India.
Together they've applied for funding through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
"Out of 100 applicants, we're one of nine that has been asked to submit a more detailed proposal," Byers said.
"We're optimistic we'll get a grant, but we feel this research is important enough that we'll look for alternative sources of funding if we don't get the grant. We're committed to going forward."
Byers said she expects to hear about the grant this fall, but hopes to move ahead with some of the research before that.
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I fully aggree, that India is almost fully Ignorant about Sex Health, among all levels whether it is a Student or Teacher or any body at any level. Exceptions are, about 70% of Medical Graduates.
India sure needs an Intensive programme on Sex Education, in the proper manner whic will suit the temperaments,myths and Taboos of the Indian culture............
I welcome this Venture by UNB................Somanath