Rogers calls for compulsory sex education in north
Independent Turkish Cypriot ‘MP’ Jale Refik Rogers on Wednesday called for compulsory sex education to be introduced in schools in the north. She made reference to the revelation that more than one minor per week gives birth in the north, but
Independent Turkish Cypriot ‘MP’ Jale Refik Rogers on Wednesday called for compulsory sex education to be introduced in schools in the north.
She made reference to the revelation that more than one minor per week gives birth in the north, but said that since the north’s statistical institute did not reveal how many of those minors were giving birth to children fathered by adults and how many did so of their own volition, “it is not possible to deduce whether these births are a sign of disaster or not”.
For this and other reasons, she said, the north’s social services department “may be inadequate in cases of violence and abuse”.
“The biggest reason for this inadequacy is the inadequate personnel structure in the face of a growing population,” she said, while pointing out that a bill which would grow the number of people working at the department is due to be discussed in the relevant ‘parliamentary’ committee.
“I hope this regulation will provide some relief for the deficiencies shown in social services, but the most important factor which comes to mind in light of these figures is a deficiency in education. Education is the most important factor in raising conscious individuals and integrating them into society,” she said.
She added that for this reason, the “first step” which must be taken is to “provide children with sexual health education appropriate to their age, starting from a young age, and to make this education compulsory in school curricula”.
“This is the most important factor in protecting our children from violence and abuse, protecting them from sexually transmitted diseases, and raising individuals who are conscious about sexuality,” she said.
She added, “if there is one lesson to be learned from these statistics, it is that sexual health education must be a compulsory subject in schools, with content designed in a rational and age-appropriate manner”.
Rogers’ call for sex education programmes to be implemented echoed those made by the Cyprus Turkish medical association on Tuesday.
They said the north’s ‘education ministry’ “must develop curricula in schools on topics such as body recognition and sex education”, and called on the social services department to implement “preventative mechanisms”, including “information and education programmes”.
These programmes, they said, “must be done with the aim of ensuring children’s right to be protected from harmful influences on their development”.
The north still has no comprehensive sex education programme in its public schools, with the Republic having only implemented it for the first time in 2023.
MP Alexandra Attalides, who belongs to political party Volt, said an earlier introduction of sex education “would have saved many children from abuse”, and that studies carried out across Europe show that sex education “protects children from abusers”.
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