Supreme Court's Directive on incorporating Sexual Equality in School Syllabus

The Supreme Court (SC) of India recently directed the Centre to incorporate the concept of sexual equality and moral education into the school syllabus.

Key Observations and Recommendations

• Moral and Ethical Training
  • SC emphasized the importance of moral and ethical training in schools, suggesting that it should start at an early age.
  • Schools currently lack consistent moral education, with many classes being canceled or replaced with other subjects.
• Equality Begins at Home
  • SC noted that equality between sons and daughters should originate at home.
  • Highlighted the existing discrimination, where parents often impose more restrictions on daughters than sons.
• Root Causes of Crimes Against Women
  • The petitioner identified the lack of basic education on gender equality as a root cause for crimes against women.
  • It highlighted the increasing insecurity and misogynistic attitudes that women face.

Proposals for Change

• Inclusion of Moral Education
  • Following the example of environmental science, the court suggested introducing moral education as a subject.
• Awareness Through Media
  • Petitioner proposed using advertisements and visual media to communicate zero tolerance for rape and publicise stringent laws against it.
  • He argued that awareness should precede sentencing to effectively prevent crime.
• Understanding and Dissemination of Law
  • Efforts should bridge the gap between the law and public understanding.
  • Identifying the causes of gender-based crimes is essential, followed by changing male mindsets and instilling respect for the law.