Introduction

Education is considered as one of the most potent instruments of peaceful social change and also a significant means to develop among individuals the ability of self actualisation and self-realisation. In view of this crucial role education has to respond to the current and emerging needs of the society and aspirations of the people. But by its very nature education continues to be rigid and conservative and quite often tends to defer its response to societal needs. Which is why educational innovations emerge to accelerate the process of its internal transformation, so that education relates itself to the life, needs, aspirations and demands of individuals and reflects the chief concerns of the society. Family life education is one of the educational innovations that are aimed at enabling the existing education system to respond to the emerging needs and requirements.

Family life education, however, has been conceptualised in more than one way, though it has always focused on various dimensions of the institution of family and the life within it. In certain context this concept has been used as a synonym, and also at times as an euphemism of sex education, while in the other it has been designed as an educational intervention to reinforce the process of social learning for better understanding of the institution of family and its crucial role as a basic social institution.

Need for Family Life Education

The programme on family life education in some countries was launched when comprehensive efforts were initiated to start the population education during early 1970s as a complementary strategy to help nations attain their demographic goals. Particularly those programmes which focused on the teaching of sexual development and sexuality preferred to use the title of family life education. It was thought that since the pace of population growth depended on the Fertility behaviour of individuals, it would be necessary to educate them in sexual development, sexuality, reproduction including conception, pregnancy, pre and post-natal care and child care, so that the educational intervention influenced their attitude and behaviour in respect of reproduction and brought about desirable change in the fertility rate. In some other countries, the need to start such an educational programme was felt in view of the problems faced by the young people because of the lack of authentic knowledge available to the them in respect of physical, physiological, emotional and social development during the process of growing up from childhood to adulthood. The growing incidence of sexual relationship among adolescents and increasing number of premarital pregnancies coupled with the gradual erosion of the institutions of marriage and family impelled the educational planners to start the process of imparting education in sex and sexuality. Since sex related elements have been considered socio-culturally sensitive, it was preferred to name the educational programme as family life education.

The need to impart education in this sensitive area is felt primarily because the current generation of adolescents are more than a billion strong, and will be the largest generation in history to make the transition from children to adults. But their health needs, and particularly their reproductive health needs, continue to be ignored and neglected. As they stand at the threshold of adulthood, they need authentic knowledge that helps them understand the process of growing up in particular reference to their reproductive health needs, so that they are well equipped to cope with the problems which they confront during the transitional phase. They need both guidance and independence, education as well as opportunities to explore life for themselves in order to attain a level of maturity required to make responsible decisions.

This need is particularly felt in India, because the school curriculum here does not include the crucial elements of reproductive health such as sexual development during the period of adolescence, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse. These are contents on the biological aspects of the reproduction system, but education in these elements cannot be complete by giving simply the biological information. There is a need to focus on physiological, emotional and socio-cultural dimensions of the adolescent reproductive health in a holistic manner. After serious consideration, now a consensus has been reached on the issue of introduction of adolescence education in schools with a view to providing authentic knowledge to students regarding the process of growing up, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse and influencing their attitude, behaviour and value orientation.

There still is a point of view according to which it is not proper to introduce elements relating to sexual development in the school curriculum. People holding such view put forth the following arguments:

(a) Sex and sexuality are intimately private matters which are not to be discussed in public, and that too with young children. In India individuals have been receiving information about these matters indirectly through different sources available in their respective socio-cultural settings. Therefore, there is no need to introduce such an educational programme in Indian schools.

(b) If schools start providing knowledge about the sexual development, the young children will be encouraged to experiment with the newly acquired knowledge which is generally exciting. This will promote promiscuity and sexual permissiveness, spoiling the school and social environment. The regular discussion of sex and sexuality which is a treasured sublime instinct of human beings will reduce it to mundane routine affair. The young students will be desensitized and will not be able to appreciate its sublime value in their future lives.

However, these views if considered in the context of the current social reality will not appear to be plausible because of the following reasons :

(a) A number of studies lend support to the fact that adolescents desire and seek authentic knowledge on sexual development which they experience. But sex being a taboo, no authentic source has been available to them, through which they can get such knowledge. This situation creates anxieties and confusion and generates myths and misconceptions among adolescents about various aspects of their growing up. These myths and misconceptions are carried over to their adulthood, adversely affecting their attitude and behaviour throughout their lives.

(b) Since the average age at marriage is increasing and the age of puberty is advancing, the young people have a longer interval between their sexual maturity and marriage. This situation has increased the possibility of their being engaged in premarital sexual relationships. Studies, conducted in different cultural settings have found the growing incidence of premarital sexual relations among adolescents. It is, therefore considered necessary for the school curriculum to equip adolescents well, so that they manage their sexual development responsibly and develop a healthy attitude towards sex.

(c) The media reports highlight almost regularly the growing incidence of sex crimes in our society. The particular matter of great concern is the problem of sexual abuse and exploitation of young girls and even minors. These situations demand urgent educational intervention, so that young children are made aware of the implications of sexual development in them and the need to respect the inviolability of every person and to safeguard themselves against such inhuman incidents.

(d) The impact of traditional value system that used to influence the sex-related behaviour of individuals has been waning because of certain new trends in social development such as urbanisation with its widespread impact on human life, migration to slums in the cities and the changing lifestyles. There is a need to reinforce those social and cultural values that militate against irresponsible sexual behaviour.

(e) Even when adolescence education is not being imparted, children and adolescents are exposed to sex-related issues, and that too mostly in a crude manner, through other sources like cinema, film magazines and other periodicals, video parlours, commercial advertisements and certain sensuous programmes telecast on domestic and foreign channels of television. Even newspapers are devoting increasing space to sex-related stories. Should such exposures be banned? We know that it cannot happen. It will, therefore, be better to impart adolescence education to adolescents, so that they may appreciate such exposures in proper perspective.

(f) The AIDS pandemic has added urgency to introduce adolescence education in schools. Although HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, can be transmitted through blood and from the infected mother to her child, the principal mode of transmission is through sexual relations. The sharing of syringes and needles by drug addicts is also a potential route of HIV transmission. Studies have come out with the finding that adolescents are the greatest victims of HIV infection. Since there is no vaccine or cure available for HIV/AIDS, preventive education is the only means to promote behavioural changes which can prevent HIV infection.

(g) The increasing incidence of smoking and use of tobacco, alcohol and other dangerous drugs by young children is assuming alarming proportion. Young adolescents tend to see the use of these drugs as part of being grown up. It is, therefore, urgently needed to educate them in drug abuse and motivate them against drug addiction.

(h) The apprehensions of adults in respect of introduction of adolescence education in schools have been proved to be misplaced. Studies indicate that education about reproductive and sexual health does not encourage students to experiment with their newly acquired knowledge. Rather, it encourages them to have positive attitude towards sex and inculcate responsible behaviour.

(i) The apprehension of teachers that the teaching of elements of adolescence education will tarnish their "image" and promote indiscipline among students has also been negated by a number of studies. Wherever, teachers are responsive to the needs of adolescent students and provide guidance to them to cope with their problems, the teacher-pupil relation has become better and the school environment has improved.

(j) There has been a significant change in the perception of adult members of the society, particularly parents and teachers, towards the introduction of adolescence education in schools. Although students always felt the need to get eduction in sex related matters, parents and teachers had serious apprehensions till very recently. But now a number of studies conducted in different States have found that parents and teachers overwhelmingly favour the introduction of adolescence eduction in schools.

Moreover, it is pertinent to note that family life eduction has been conceived in a much broader context. It has been felt for quite some time that the family which is the basic unit of society has been under strains. Many forces such as industrialisation, rapid demographic and socio-economic changes, widespread migration, urbanisation, poverty, weaking of the institution of marriage, and liberalised code of sexual ethics have influenced the pattern of family formation and family life. These have not only generated considerable changes in family composition and structure but also eroded its significance as a key social institution. The traditional notion of relationships within the family does not reflect the current reality and aspirations. Family as an agent of social learning is constrained to perform its educational functions. It is also found wanting in the task of preparing its younger members for adulthood. With the changing age structure, care for the aged is increasingly becoming an emerging concern within the family. Education is, therefore, expected to reaniment the family life, help foster family solidarity, enable family members to cope with the changing demands of different stages of family life and to ensure wholesome relationships among family members.

Family life eduction has been conceptualised differently in various contexts, and hence it has been defined in different ways. The definition adopted at the International Planned Parenthood Federation Seminar on Teachers and National Development, held in Lesotho, in 1978 was: "Family Life Education includes a study of slef awareness, understanding of others, of sexuality, marriage and parenthood. The knowledge gained and skills developed will contribute to the individual’s ability to cope both with social change and with relationships in society as a citizen, spouse or parent."

It has also been defined as an "educational process designed to assist young people in their physical, social, emotional and moral development as they prepare for adulthood, marriage, parenthood, ageing as well as their social relationships in the sociocultural context of the family and society". According to yet another definition family life education has been conceived as an "education for human development, which seeks to ensure that each individual approaching adulthood is equipped with the skills and personal reserves to cope with the challenges of everyday life in society, within acceptable societal structures, and to adapt to change with experience and equilibrium".

Family life education, therefore, is a broader concept than sex or sexuality education. It does not simply deal with the human sexual development and sexual behaviour. It is aimed at enabling individuals to understand and appreciate the institution of family and the family life in proper perspective. It focuses largely on developing among learners the ability to understand themselves and the family and the society in which they live and interact, to think rationally and independently, to clarify the traditional values and their own values and to take informed decisions about their own individual selves and the family life.

Objectives of Family Life Education

Family Life Education aims at enabling the learners:

• to understand the importance of the institution of family, its changing composition and structure, functions, family roles and responsibilities and interrelationship between family resources and family welfare;

• to appreciate physical, physiological, psychological and social changes and developments during the process of growing up, conception and consequences of adolescent pregnancy, and to be aware of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and implications of drug abuse;

• to understand the significance of marriage, responsible parenthood, changing gender roles’and male responsibilities in the family life; and

• to develop positive attitude and responsible behaviour towards various issues of family life and to appreciate traditional family values.

Maior Components and Contents

There are variations in the scheme of content of family life education based on approaches adopted in different contexts. When viewed broadly, family life education has two major components : family life and sex and sexuality. The scheme of content of family life education, therefore, contains the following elements :

1. Concept of Family : Definition of family; Types of family - nuclear, joint/extended; Functions of family - reproduction, physical maintenance, rearing of children, ensuring physical, emotional and social security, socialisation and social control, continuity, companionship and association; Family roles, relationships and responsibilities - changing gender roles and division of family functions, male responsibility, responsible parenthood, care for mother and child, care for aged ensuing physical, emotional and social security; Family resources and family welfare - needs and resources, human resources and non-human resources, community resources, size of the family and its needs for better quality of life.

2. Marriage : Marriage as the basic social institution, free and full consent of individual spouses; Age at marriage, child marriage, consequences of early marriage; Married life, communication between spouses, male responsibility, care for reproductive health; Divorce, consequences.

3. Gender Roles: Equality and equity based on harmonious partnership between male and female members; Promoting the fulfillment of women’s potential through health care, education, skill development, ability to earn beyond traditional occupations, employment opportunities outside the household, and making them self-reliant; participation in the decision-making process; Discriminations against women; Need to eliminate violence against women; Need for change in the perception of the social worth of the girl child, adequate health care and nutrition, education and opportunities for realisation of the full potential of the girl child, role-stereotypes and discrimination within the family, impact of prenatal sex selection, female infanticide and higher rate of girl child mortality.

4. Process of Growing Up : Physical change and development during adolescence phases of adolescence, male and female body clock, conception and pregnancy, pre and post-natal care, adolescent pregnancy; Socio-cultural development - emotional development, identity development,, body image, self-esteem and self-concept, social relationships, changing relationships with parents, peer groups and the opposite sex; Gender Roles-stereotyped gender role development, proper gender role development.

5. HIV/AIDS: Basic information -meaning of MV/AIDS, routes of HIV transmission, effects of IUV infection, how HIV is not transmitted, STDs and AIDS; HIV/AIDS: Prevention and control - sexual relationships, blood, mother to child, no risk behaviour, risky behaviour, sexually transmitted diseases.

6. Drug Abuse: What is drug and drug abuse, factors promoting drug abuse, symptoms of drug addiction, drug dependence, effects of drug abuse, myths and misconceptions about drug intake, prevention and responsibility.

Strategies of Integration in the Education System

The objectives of family life education can be attained substantially only when it becomes an integral part of the content and process of the existing education system. The strategies to be adopted for the integration of family lie education in the school education in particular, may take into consideration the following significant characteristics of this educational intervention:

(a) Family life education has emerged in response to the pressing demands primarily emanating from outside the existing formal school education system and not from within.

(b) It deals with certain set of contents that have been considered sensitive, and there is an in-built resistance in the existing system to the introduction of such elements in the school education.

(c) This educational area focuses on problems confronted by the adolescents who have been traditionally treated as homogeneous groups which they are not. The variations in their sociocultural settings are enough to indicate their heterogeneous nature.

(d) Family life education primarily aims at influencing the affective domain of the learners, though the process may necessarily be initiated by imparting knowledge of various issues related to the institution of family, family life and reproductive health of its members.

In order to facilitate effective integration of family life education in the content and process of school education, it is essential to prepare a conceptual framework which guides the process of integration of its elements in the school curriculum framework, syllabi, textbooks and other components of the teaching-learning process. It is still more important to integrate family life education in the process of teacher preparation, suitably incorporating its elements in the pre-service and in-service teacher education.

Teaching Methods

The traditional teaching methods may not be effective for imparting family life education, primarily because of the sensitive nature of its contents and its focus on influencing the affective domain of learners. Therefore, non-conventional methods of teaching like values clarification, enquiry method, problem solving method and other interactive mode of teaching may be adopted. Students need to be increasingly involved in co-curricular activities focused on the critical concerns of family life education.

Evaluation

Evaluation is an integral part of the institutionalisation of family life education in the existing education system. All aspects of evaluation - context evaluation, process evaluation, product evaluation - are significant. The context evaluation may be conducted to identify the relevant concerns of family life education in different cultural settings and content analysing the existing syllabi and textbooks to identify gaps as well as suitable entry points for integration of its elements. Evaluation needs to be made an integral part of material development, training, teaching-leaming and organising various educational activities. Impact studies, though, difficult and challenging, are necessary not only to assess the attainment of objectives but also to identify gaps in instructional strategies and to take corrective measures.