COBSE’s Programme
On
Adolescence Education

                                     Adolescence Education Programme (AEP)

• "Adolescence" is defined as the age between 10-19 years.

• It is a period of  transition from childhood to adulthood.

• Adolescents constitute about 1/5th of the total population of India.

       Needs & Concerns of Adolescents

• Most adolescents, both girls and boys, are unaware of their own bodies especially their  emotional  as well as sexual health.
• In the absence of authentic and scientific information on AE related matters, they become vulnerable to prevailing myths and misconceptions.
• They also lack necessary life skills such as self- esteem, self-assertion, decision making and coping skills, making them vulnerable to different kinds of exploitation.
• There has been a growing trend among adolescents to involve themselves in irresponsible sexual behaviour, putting them at risk to HIV/AIDS/ST infection.   
• There has been a growing trend among school going children to  experiment with habit forming substances like tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

       Developments which have necessitated refocusing the school curriculum

• The emergence of adolescents as a distinct population group with special needs.
• Advent of HIV/AIDS in 1980s and its fast spread in India since 1990s leading to growing realization that there is a strong case for introducing Adolescence Education and skill building for school students.
  
  

Policies, programmes conferences highlighting the urgency to address Adolescents’needs

• The Indian Science Congress 1992 : Recommending Introduction of Sex Education in Schools
• NCERT’s National Seminar on Adolescence Education 1993: Introduction of AE in school curriculum and identified three components of AE viz. Process of growing up,HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse.
• The International Conference on Population and Development, Programme of Action 1994: Highlighted issues specially Reproductive health.
• National Population Policy 2000: Identified adolescents as under –served population group.
• The National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy 2001: HIV/AIDS Education be made more specific to adolescents.
• The National Health Policy 2002:Underlining  the need for  Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) to be integrated into school health progamme.
• The National Youth Policy 2003: Emphasising the need for health information and services for improving quality of life among the youth
• The X Five Year Plan (2003-2007): Recognising AE as an important  school education programme.
  
  

 COBSE has come forth to participate in the joint efforts of MHRD, Government of India, UNFPA and NCERT.

In this background, it has strongly been felt that the efforts being made under the existing National Population Education Project ( NPEP ) which is now a part of the X Five Year Plan of the Government of India, needs to be supplemented by a programme to integrate AE related content and life skills into the secondary and higher secondary curriculum with the support of the United Nations Population Fund  (UNFPA) under its 6^th Country Programme in India.

GOAL 

To increase adolescent students’ access to AE-related knowledge and life skills education through integration into the content and process of school education. 

OBJECTIVE

Integration of A. E. related content and life skills into the school curriculum of secondary and  secondary classes.

Strategies for Integration

• Adhoc Infusion" approach
• Integration of AE elements with selected 'mothers' subjects.
• Integration of a comprehensive unit on AE in one or two subjects.
• Integration and evaluation of Life Skills Development in CCE.

The Major Themes / areas identified for integration : 

·         Understanding Adolescence and the Process of Growing Up:. 

·       Promoting Adolescent Reproductive Health:

·         Preventing HIV/AIDS and STIs:

·         Preventing Substance Abuse:

·         Developing Responsible and Healthy Lifestyle:

·         Incorporation of desirable values in the entire programme

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