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Front Page Report demands sex education at early ageby Valentine Marc Nkwame Lack of sex education now seems to be taking its toll among local, under-aged, primary school pupils some of whom, are reported to be sexually active by the tender age of nine years. This was brought to light by a recently launched report on the "Impact of HIV-AIDS on Primary Education" based on the case study of Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. The report, which explores findings of the study in the two Tanzanian northern regions, was compiled by the Arusha-based non governmental organisation of "Maarifa ni Ufunguo". Research participants found that children encounter their first sexual experiences well before the age of nine. A few years ago, another report released by AIDSLINE on "AIDS knowledge and risk behaviour among primary school children in Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions" indicated that pupils were sexually active at an average of 13 years old. The "Maarifa ni Ufunguo" report, released last week, suggests that things have changed and it is high time that sex education in schools is taught from a younger age. Currently, the subject is being taught among higher classes of Standard Six and Seven whose pupils are already sexually active and have possibly encountered all major risks in contracting various diseases including HIV-AIDS. The study also discovered that, in all schools and research areas, sex education was not taught separately except in Science subjects and mostly in Class Seven. The report blames the Ministry of Education Directive of November 2000, when the Government issued Circular Number 3, instructing the teaching of HIV-AIDS in later years of primary school. This according to the report, is a limitation since most children have their first sexual encounter at the age of nine, whilst in Class Four or Five. The report also suggested that families should get involved in educating their children in sexuality issues especially against HIV-AIDS and called for assimilation of both sex education and HIV-AIDS education in primary school curricula as independent subjects.
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