The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has informed the Kerala High Court that awareness of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) will be incorporated into the school curriculum starting from the upcoming academic year.
The standing counsel for the SCERT informed Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas about this development during the hearing of a case in which the Court is addressing and rectifying the issue of cases being filed against teenagers who unknowingly commit offenses punishable under the POCSO Act.
It was conveyed that experts will prepare textbooks with appropriate sensitivity and emphasis on this matter. “SCERT has also assured that the awareness about POCSO will be included in the curriculum for the academic year 2024-2025 for standards I, III, V, VI, VIII, and IX. For standards II, IV, VII, and X, it will be implemented from the academic year 2025-2026,” the order stated.
The Court also acknowledged that workshops for teachers will need to be conducted once the curriculum is revised. In the previous hearing, the Court strongly criticized the State government for the delay in implementing its directives to establish a prevention-oriented program on sexual abuse in school curricula. However, in the recent hearing, the State government informed the Court that a one-day training program on POCSO awareness was conducted for teachers in May of the current year.
Approximately 1,12,000 teachers participated in the training sessions held at various locations within the State. Furthermore, the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) informed the Court that orientation classes were provided to higher secondary school teachers under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
The Court expressed its appreciation for the efforts undertaken by KELSA, the State government, and the SCERT in attempting to implement POCSO awareness through curriculum revisions and other methods.
The matter is now scheduled for further consideration on September 18, 2023.
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